If anything is clear about the PA-2 Congressional race, it’s that longtime State Rep. Dwight Evans is gearing up for a fight. So far, his campaign has raised a sizeable amount of money in its effort to oust the embattled 11-term Congressman Chaka Fattah, who currently faces 29 counts of corruption and a parched campaign coffer. But the fight, Team Evans says, will stick to the issues.

Namely, making cities like Philadelphia a national priority.

Evans, who began his political career at age 25, is without a doubt one of the most influential legislators in the city. He’s a kingpin in the politically powerful Northwest Coalition of African American leaders, and has gambled on several higher offices before.

Early in his career, he became the first African American candidate to run for governor of Pennsylvania, placing third in the 1994 Democratic primary. He performed less remarkably in two later bids for mayor of Philadelphia. But none of this has damaged Evans’ political stature in the long term; if anything, he has more support now than ever before. (At least according to a poll commissioned by the Evans campaign, which puts him ahead of the pack.)

With this five-way Democratic primary, Evans is putting it all on the line. After 36 years in the PA House — that’s 18 elections, for those counting — he will not be seeking reelection in his district. AL DÍA spoke to Evans about his past, his opponent, and his path to victory.

This is one of several interviews with the PA-2 Congressional candidates. The Q&A has been edited and arranged for clarity.

Why did you get into the congressional race? What do you think you can accomplish for Philadelphia on a national level that you couldn’t do on state level?

I felt like the city wasn’t on the national agenda. With the challenges we have in Philadelphia, we need to have a stronger partner in Washington D.C. We came off a horrible recession in 2008. I believe that cities need to be back on the national agenda now. Something like a Marshall Plan that was done for Europe, we need that same kind of effort in the U.S. regarding our cities.

I don’t believe that kind of attention has been paid. And that’s not something I can do at the state level, but I can do it at the national level.

But I also think it is important that our leadership has a certain kind of brand, a brand that shows the importance of integrity, ethics and things of that nature.

So far, your campaign has focused on the message of rebuilding a strong urban core — workforce development, viable commercial hubs, neighborhood job creation. Could you unpack this a little more for those who are just tuning in?

We are right up there with Detroit in terms of our poverty rate. If you’re going to reduce the issue around poverty, you have to work on expanding the economy. Increasing the minimum wage is very important, so is increasing workforce development and education.

And how do you see yourself addressing these issues in a congressional district that is part city, part suburb? How do envision working with the big league Democrat-Republican divide in Washington?

For the transportation package passed under Governor Corbett, I worked closely with Rep. John Taylor (R.) on the transportation committee and Rep. Sam Smith from Punxsutawney. I have a history of working with legislators from different sections of the state, and I think that’s important to understand.

In this day and age, people are looking for people who are problem solvers. People who can get things done. People who can figure out how to put coalitions together. Not just talk. I just haven’t been sitting around in Harrisburg. I think my record is very clear. From the Pennsylvania Convention Center … to the Democratic National Convention … that doesn’t happen unless unless you make some infrastructural changes. But I haven’t just focused on Center City initiatives.

I believe that the appeal that I would have — even to the suburbs — is that I fully understand what it takes to move the needle and make a community competitive.

You’ve characterized yourself as a risk-taker, and felt its turbulent effects through the years. What’s the hardest lesson you've learned that you would take with you to Congress?

These positions we serve in are not for our own purposes. We serve the people. I’ve been in public service my entire life. I’ve worked hard trying to make a difference for people. This is all I’ve done. I’ve not had any outside income.

Transparency, integrity, ethics — these are essential to me.

Because people must first trust you. They must have a sense that you as an individual and the institutions that you work are very essential. I think I’ve demonstrated that through 36 years in the legislature — that’s 18 elections that I’ve gone through.

Now that’s not to say everybody has agreed with me. I want you to understand I know that everybody hasn’t agreed. But that I’ve always tried to do best for people [regardless].

You’ve mentioned ethics a few times now. And I think, whether intentional or not, there’s an underlying message there about your incumbent opponent, Congressman Chaka Fattah, and the 29 counts of corruption he currently faces. Is Fattah’s indictment going to be an issue in the race?

Look, I voted for Open Records in Harrisburg. I voted for Right to Know [laws]. I believe that people do have a right to know exactly what is taking place in their government. When you’ve been in office as long as I have, you have to figure out how to keep people engaged...and have a sense of ownership in the process.

I think what voters should be more concerned about is, who do you want to be your next nominee and, in turn, be your congressman?

The issues [raised by the indictment] will be decided in court. The issue that voters can decide on is who of the candidates running will represent this district in a way that they can be proud of and that is somebody who can make things happen.

Ultimately, they have to make a judgment about who would be the most effective congressperson. I would argue that, if you look at my record, I have been extremely effective.

You can talk about education, talk about economic development, talk about children and youth, talk about the CHIP program. You talk about food deserts. You talk about the grocery store at Broad and Cecil B. Moore. It took a lot of work to do that, but it’s something that’s tangible. There are almost 5,000 jobs across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that have come about because of the grocery store initiative, and it has now become part of the national policy of the Obama Administration.

And what about the recent poll you commissioned, which places you a bit ahead of the competition?

Well hey, the most important poll is on April 26, 2016, and that’s where my head is. There are 70-some days to go. I’m going to work as hard as I can and do all the thing that are necessary to get people to understand. And if I’m given the honor, I’ll do a great job for the second congressional district.