Evan Jenkins (politician)
A West Virginia political figure who navigated a rare path from the U.S. House of Representatives to his state's highest court.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American judge and politician·Birthday: September 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Evan Jenkins built a career at the intersection of West Virginia law and politics. A lawyer by trade, he served in the state legislature as a Democrat before a strategic party switch to Republican in 2013, a move that reflected the state's shifting political tides. This repositioning propelled him to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he focused on energy issues and opposing environmental regulations like the Clean Power Plan. His congressional tenure was relatively short; in 2018, he successfully ran for a seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. His judicial service included a term as Chief Justice in 2021, overseeing the court during a period of recovery from prior scandals. Jenkins's trajectory showcases a pragmatic, career-oriented approach to public service, moving between legislative and judicial branches.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Evan was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Evan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Evan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2021.
- Elected as a U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 3rd congressional district, serving from 2015 to 2018.
- Previously served as a member of the West Virginia Senate and the West Virginia House of Delegates.
- Successfully switched political parties and won federal office in a historically Democratic district.
Did You Know?
He resigned from the West Virginia Supreme Court in February 2022 before the end of his term.
Before his political career, he was the executive director of the West Virginia State Medical Association.
He was one of several Republicans who flipped Democratic seats in the 2014 midterm elections.
His judicial campaign emphasized his experience as a 'conservative outsider'.
“I switched parties because West Virginia values are conservative values.”
