Derrick Evans, the former West Virginia state delegate who livestreamed himself storming the Capitol while shouting “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”, announced a bid for Congress Friday. Evans intends to compete for the seat in West Virginia’s First District, which is currently held by Republican Carol Miller, who campaigned on the slogan “cut the bull out of politics!” Evans intends to run as a Republican.
Asked for comment, a Miller spokesperson tells Washingtonian “Her focus is serving her constituents and she is committed to delivering conservative, pragmatic results for West Virginia for many years to come.”
Evans claimed after the riot that he attended simply as “an independent member of the media to film history.” (He streamed his video on a Facebook page titled “Derrick Evans – the Activist.”) Nevertheless he was convicted of civil disorder and sentenced to three months in prison with 36 months of supervised release.
Evans says he chose January 6 to announce his candidacy because its events “changed my life and shaped me into the man that I am today.”
This post has been updated with a quote from Rep. Miller’s office.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
