Derrick Evans

Jonathan Derrick Evans (born April 2, 1985) is an American politician who served as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates for the 19th district from December 1, 2020, to January 9, 2021. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to West Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2024, and after cancelling a bid for U.S. Senate in 2026, he declared another campaign for the 1st congressional district. In January 2017, he was hired to be a volunteer assistant quarterback coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team.

Anti-abortion activities Before pursuing elected office, Evans was known as a confrontational local anti-abortion protester who, over the course of 2018 and 2019, harassed patients, staff, and volunteer escorts at the only clinic in West Virginia that performed abortions. Evans would livestream himself confronting people outside the clinic to tens of thousands of viewers. In addition to shouting abuse, Evans would livestream himself repeating clinic workers' names over and over and screaming their personal details. His activities prompted the clinic to put up a 10-foot high fence and alert police. Evans' harassment led a woman to file for and receive a restraining order over "many threats to my safety online and relentless harassment in person"; Evans subsequently violated the order.

Evans also frequently appeared at the West Virginia State Capitol, where he took photographs and videos of state legislators. Democratic State Delegate Danielle Walker said that Evans referred to her as "satanic" and equated her support for LGBTQ rights to defending pedophilia.

Evans was embroiled in controversy during his 2020 campaign stemming from his membership in a Facebook group chat in which homophobic and Islamophobic language was used. Fellow Delegate John Mandt, an alleged participant in the group chat, claimed that the messages attributed to him were fabricated but nonetheless announced his resignation. Evans not only confirmed his own participation in the group chat, but said that he stood by his comments calling Nihad Awad a "terrorist".

On December 25, 2023, Evans posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a photo of a Christmas tree with ornaments of figures such as Joseph Biden, Kamala Harris, and Anthony Fauci with nooses on the figure's necks, along with a figure of Donald Trump who did not possess one. Evans later deleted the post after backlash from other commentators, stating that it was "ot in good taste" and that it was not his tree or ornaments.

After announcing plans for a run in January 2023, Evans challenged incumbent Congresswoman Carol Miller in the 2024 Republican primary. He used his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack as a campaign selling point, but ultimately lost the primary to Miller. In November 2024, Evans announced his campaign for United States Senate, challenging incumbent Senator Shelley Moore Capito in the 2026 primary. He withdrew from the Senate race in June 2025, instead seeking to again challenge Miller in the 2026 Republican primary. Evans ultimately did not complete the filing paperwork to run in the primary.

Participation in the January 6 attack Evans participated in the protest at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Social media posts by Evans depict him traveling to Washington, D.C., with a busload of fellow Donald Trump supporters.

His actions were condemned by West Virginia's state House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, state House Minority Leader Doug Skaff, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, and Governor Jim Justice.

Two days later, Evans was arrested and charged with one count of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority" and one count of "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds."

Evans resigned on January 10, 2021, saying, "I take full responsibility for my actions."

He pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor charges in May 2021. In July 2021, a grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Evans, including the four previously charged misdemeanors and a new felony charge, obstructing an official proceeding and aiding or abetting. On February 3, 2022, the day before Evans was supposed to appear in court for a hearing, Evans struck a plea agreement and lawyers asked the court for a hearing later in the month without releasing the terms of the plea agreement.

On March 18, 2022, Evans pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder stemming from the Capitol riot. Evans was sentenced to three months in prison on June 22, 2022. He reported to federal prison on July 25, 2022. He was held at the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan in Milan, Michigan, through October 23, 2022. Evans also made an appearance at CPAC 2023. Alongside fellow rioters Brandon Straka and Simone Gold, he was a speaker at a session titled "True Stories of January 6: The Prosecuted Speak."

On January 20, 2025, after beginning his second term in office, President Trump issued pardons to Evans and roughly 1,500 other individuals charged with crimes connected to January 6th. Evans celebrated the pardon on X (formerly Twitter), writing: "Praise the Lord. We won. My name is cleared. I have my rights back. I have my life back."

Personal life Evans and his wife Melissa have three children and live in Wayne County, West Virginia.

Electoral history