Joan Mooney Evans

With website Politico reporting that former Monmouth Mayor Paul Evans announced his candidacy to replace retiring Rep. Darlene Hooley, many Democrats are wondering if his wife, Joan Mooney Evans, will resign as Hooley's Chief of Staff in Washington, DC.

There has been speculation that Paul Evans knew about Rep. Hooley’s retirement in advance, fueled both by conversations Evans has had about the possibility of running for a number of local offices, as well as his wife’s position as Hooley’s Chief of Staff.

“I’ve had conversations about future positions all across the map, but Darlene is a friend of mine, and any supposition that I knew ahead of time and encouraged her not to run, or that my wife violated that trust, is frustrating to me,” Evans said.

It's official. Congresswoman Darlene Hooley is not running for re-election. Due to health issues Hooley decided not to have another go this election cycle. She was forced to make the announcement now because her secret was leaked excessively by her COS Joan Mooney Evans and her husband Paul Evans. Evans is now expected to announce his campaign for the seat. Another possible candidate that might enter the race is House Majority Leader Dave Hunt.