Meet Evan Turnage

A Son of Mississippi

Evan Turnage grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, in a home where faith, hard work, and service were inseparable. His parents, Ellie and Ellis, showed him that success wasn’t just about what you achieved for yourself — it was about what you gave back.

As a child at New Hope Christian School, he learned quickly what that service meant: delivering meals at Stewpot Ministries, singing carols for the sick at Christmas, and helping neighbors in need. These experiences shaped an understanding that still guides Evan today.

After graduating as valedictorian of Murrah High School, he continued his education at Morehouse College, studying physics and Spanish and finishing at the top of his class at the esteemed HBCU. From there, Evan went to Yale Law School at a moment when the nation was grappling with systemic inequities in policing and economic opportunity.

An Effective Fighter for Working People

Evan got to work as an antitrust lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis, and he saw firsthand just how broken competition laws were in this country under the first Trump administration. His conviction to unrig the system eventually took him to Capitol Hill, where he served as senior counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren and later as chief counsel to then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a role that made him the top lawyer in the U.S. Senate.

Day after day, he worked to hold corporations accountable, expand voting rights, and fight for an economy that worked for everyone. Evan authored various major pieces of legislation, including the No Kings Act, which eventually led to the No Kings protests around the country, and the Price Gouging Prevention Act, which was adopted for Vice President Harris’s presidential platform.

For the People Act

Evan first went to work in Congress because of how meaningful the For the People Act would be for Mississippi. Early voting doesn’t exist here, polling places have closed, and turnout is too often discouraged. To combat this and protect our basic right to be heard, Evan worked on the For the People Act, a sweeping democracy reform package that expands voter access, restores rights to the formerly incarcerated, and cracks down on gerrymandering and dark money. The For the People Act was an integral pillar to Vice President Harris’ 2024 presidential election. Making government work and putting a stop to corruption means that our representatives can deliver for the people, not billionaire and corporate interests. Unfortunately, Rep. Bennie Thompson was the only Democrat in the House of Representatives to vote against this critical legislation. In Congress, Evan will keep pushing to make sure every Mississippian’s vote truly counts and that government works for the people.

Price Gouging Prevention Act

As Senior Counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Evan spearheaded the Price Gouging Prevention Act to stop corporations from jacking up prices during crises. As families are forced to choose between gas, groceries, housing, and medicine, Evan refused to accept corporate greed as business as usual. Price gouging is supposed to be illegal in 40 states already, including Mississippi, but it has been under-enforced. The bill brings in the federal government and calls for steep penalties to hold bad actors accountable. In Congress, Evan will bring this fight back to lower costs for Delta families and working people across the 2nd District.

No Kings Act

As Chief Counsel to then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Evan wrote the No Kings Act, reinforcing the basic American principle that no one is above the law, especially the President. The bill pushed back against the dangerous 2024 Supreme Court ruling that unconstitutionally granted the President immunity for crimes committed. In Congress, he’ll work to protect democracy and make sure Mississippi families aren’t governed by a system where the powerful play by different rules.

Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act

Evan wrote the bipartisan Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act to rein in Big Tech and AI and to protect consumers from harm online. That means stopping data abuse, protecting kids from dangerous algorithms, and making sure small businesses and communities in the Delta aren’t crushed by tech giants. In Congress, he’ll make sure Mississippians come before Silicon Valley profits.

Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act

As Senior Counsel to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Evan wrote the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act to stop corporate consolidation that kills jobs and raises prices for everyone. In the 2nd District — where local grocers, farmers, and small businesses are already fighting to survive — mega-mergers threaten livelihoods. In Congress, he’ll fight to protect Mississippi workers, lower costs, and restore strength to our local economy.

Taking on Corporate Greed from the Bottom Up

Even in the halls of power, Evan recognized the limits of top-down reform. Time and again, he saw policies stall, promises broken, and communities left behind.

In realizing lasting change required grassroots action and local empowerment, Evan returned to Mississippi where he launched the Southern Justice Project. The initiative brings together Black, rural, and low-income Mississippians to organize, advocate, and build economic strength from the ground up. It’s about more than policy; it’s about people believing in their own power to shape the world around them.

Evan believes that true empowerment is not about handouts or empty slogans. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and the freedom to thrive. Whether working in a classroom, a courtroom, the Senate, or his hometown of Jackson, he has dedicated his life to making the system work for people, not the other way around.