About Evan

Evan Menist is running for New York State Senate to fight for regular people and working families across the Hudson Valley. He believes the system is broken, not by accident, but by corporate special interests and billionaires who want the government to work for them, not for the many. 

Evan has lived in Poughkeepsie his entire adult life. From the beginning, he worked to support himself while going to school full time. As a full-time college student, Evan worked as an IT technician and picked up additional shifts as a bartender, barback, and security staff at nightlife venues across Poughkeepsie. Like many people in our community, he balanced long hours, late nights, and early mornings to make ends meet and fight for a better life.

In his senior year of college, Evan began working full-time as an IT administrator at Marist College, and continued working full time while attending graduate school at night, earning his Master of Public Administration. At the same time, he became certified and served as Head Coach of the Marist College Men’s Rugby team, after playing on the team as an undergraduate. Since the age of 19, Evan has consistently worked at least two jobs at a time, an experience that shaped his understanding of what it means to work hard, pay bills, and still struggle to get ahead.

After completing his MPA while working full time, Evan left Marist College to join Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a nonprofit policy, planning, and advocacy organization based in Newburgh. At Pattern for Progress, Evan worked as a policy researcher and urban planner, conducting research and developing plans for cities, towns, and organizations across the Hudson Valley. His work spanned communities from New Rochelle to Ellenville to Hudson, including Beacon, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, and other towns throughout the district. This experience gave Evan a deep understanding of housing, infrastructure, economic development, and regional planning, and how state and local decisions impact real communities on the ground.

In 2019, Evan was elected to the Poughkeepsie Common Council, where he continues to serve in his fourth term and is the longest-serving current member. On the Council, Evan has fought for tenant protections, housing affordability, tax relief for seniors, government accountability, and smart, sustainable development. He has consistently pushed to ensure local government works for residents, not special interests.

After several years at Pattern for Progress, Evan left in 2020 to work for State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick. In Albany, Evan helped the Senator pass legislation that cut taxes for middle-class families, increased state funding for local schools, strengthened public safety, protected communities from gun violence, and raised the minimum wage. His time in the State Capitol gave him firsthand experience navigating the legislative process and holding powerful interests accountable.

Following his work in Albany, Evan served as Assistant Deputy County Executive in Ulster County under County Executive Jen Metzger, where he also acted as the County’s Public Information Officer. In that role, he worked directly with county departments, agencies, local governments, and residents to communicate clearly, respond to crises, and deliver services transparently and effectively.

Today, Evan serves as Co-Executive Director of the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, a nonprofit organization that has spent more than 25 years feeding families, educating youth, and training future farmers in the City of Poughkeepsie. Through this work, Evan continues his commitment to building a more just, resilient, and sustainable Hudson Valley where everyone has access to fresh, affordable, healthy food.

Evan lives in Poughkeepsie with his wife, Danielle, who is a school social worker, and their dog, Harvey. He is running for State Senate to put power back in the hands of working people, rebuild a system that works for everyone, and ensure families across the Mid-Hudson Valley can afford to live, work, and thrive.