The ultimate political underdog

Every two years, all 435 congressional seats are up for re-election. Of those races, only a select few will receive significant media attention- the so-called “purple”, or competitive districts. The other races are essentially called by the pollsters before a single vote is cast. Conventional wisdom dictates that a Republican is not going to win in navy blue Harlem, just as a progressive Democrat won’t fare well in ruby red Alabama.

Still, there are those willing to fight the good fight for their beliefs, despite the odds.

One such man is Tony Evans, the Republican nominee for New York’s 13th congressional district.

The 13th district is home to retiring Democratic congressman Charlie Rangel, who has served as a congressman since 1971. Democratic dominance in the district is so complete that in 2014, the GOP did not even field a candidate to run against him, despite the fact that he had been censured by the House Ethics Committee just four years earlier. This same district gave 95% of its votes to President Obama in 2012.

Still, Evans rejects labeling his district “Democratic-leaning”; Indeed, he rejects the concept of labels broadly. “I’m a black, Republican Catholic from the south. What box do you put me in?,” he asked.

Evans says was motivated to run for office because none of the Democratic candidates were talking about issues important to him or his neighbors. You don’t have to talk to Evans long to learn that he is particularly passionate about charter schools. “You can’t fix poverty if you can’t educate your children,” he said, criticizing his Democratic rival’s stance on the issue.

According to his campaign website, Evans has held executive positions at Citibank, and has served as general partner for the Evans Law Firm.

Despite his personal financial success, he spoke on the problems facing the poorest members of his district. He stated that many residents of his district live in housing subsidized by NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority). “Most people in NYCHA housing make $42 a day. That’s cab fare for some people,” he added.

The Republican hopeful takes this race very seriously. He claims that he and his wife have spent over $200,000 of their own money on this race. Additionally, he regularly gets up early to hit the streets for some old-school retail politics. He even closed his law practice to run for the office. “I’m devoted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to this race,” he declared.

Evans is an unconventional Republican, which is perhaps unsurprising for a man who wants to bring his conservative vision to Harlem. “I haven’t taken money from the crazy people,” he said, referring to members of his own party. In fact, he claims that he has not accepted money from the county, state, or national Republican party. However, parties also tend to donate to races they view as winnable.

Breaking with the mainstream of his party, the GOP nominee praised Elizabeth Warren, a progressive firebrand and Senator from Massachusetts. “Elizabeth Warren looks like a superstar because she asks smart questions,” he opined. He believes that his background in law and banking will help him do the same.

At the same time, he showed ambivalence toward Donald Trump, and wished that the GOP presidential nominee had people on his staff to “make him a better person.”

The Cook Partisan Voting Index scores how strongly an area leans toward one party versus the national average. The index gives Democrats a +43% advantage in the 13th district. Only one district, the neighboring 15th, scores higher. The Republican nominee in that district, Alejandro Vega, could not be reached for comment.

Evans claims he is not running just to spread awareness of his message; He fully intends to win. Doing so would be one of the greatest political upsets in modern history. Conventional wisdom suggests he can’t pull it off, but this year’s election has been anything but conventional.