Democrats continued to spend the April congressional recess period hosting \u201cPeople\u2019s Town Halls\u201d nationwide in Republican-held districts to show up for Americans who have been abandoned by their GOP representatives, including in NRCC Chair Richard Hudson\u2019s district after Hudson advised Republicans to stop holding in-person town halls in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a little over a month, the DNC, DCCC, and ASDC have worked alongside state parties nationwide to host a whopping 100<\/strong> People\u2019s Town Halls in 45<\/strong> states. In communities across the country, Democrats are meeting working people where they are and offering a platform to fight back against Republicans\u2019 dangerous agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton issued the following statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a Chair from rural North Carolina, I was so excited to have the national Democratic party show up and show out in Saxapahaw! The town’s population is 1,501 and we had more than 1,000 North Carolinians show up. Representative Richard Hudson from NC told his friends in Congress not to have town halls. Well, if the man who represents his constituents in Congress won\u2019t show up, we will. And we’ll show up at the ballot box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib issued the following statement: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAmericans of every political party are mad as hell that not only are Republicans jacking up the cost of living by slashing your Medicaid, threatening your Social Security, and eliminating your school\u2019s funding to pay for tax cuts for billionaires \u2014 they don\u2019t even have the courage to face their own constituents in-person. Colorado Democrats were proud to bring Rep. Greg Casar to town to give folks a real town hall and ensure their voices were heard \u2014 right in Gabe Evans\u2019 backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Sharif Street issued the following statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile some politicians hide from the people they represent, we are out in the open \u2014 organizing, empowering, and building the future of democracy. The Good Trouble Fest is a reminder that real leadership shows up, listens, and acts. Pennsylvanians deserve better than silence; they deserve action, accountability, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Missouri Democratic Party Chair Russ Carnahan issued the following statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur town hall with Senator Murphy brought over 1,200 Missourians out to ask Ann Wagner why she isn\u2019t fighting for Missouri families. Over 60 volunteers gave us their time to make sure that question was asked, loudly and directly. Missouri is tired of absent politicians who only show up to work for their friends and we sent that message on Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Washington Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad issued the following statement: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe showed up to show Rep. Baumgartner how real democracy works, where you hear from the people, and not just campaign donors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at some of last week\u2019s coverage of Democrats\u2019 \u201cPeople\u2019s Town Halls\u201d below: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In North Carolina: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost and Sen. Chris Murphy joined a town hall hosted by the North Carolina Democratic Party to call out Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09) for spearheading Republicans\u2019 cowardly call to avoid in-person town halls. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Elon News Network<\/strong><\/a>: Democratic representatives hold town hall in N.C. 9th Congressional District<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Trista Panagakos, 4\/24\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDemocrat U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy hosted a town hall at the Haw River Ballroom in North Carolina\u2019s 9th Congressional District Thursday April 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe town hall was part of the Democratic National Committee\u2019s \u2018The People\u2019s Town Hall\u2019 campaign. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChair of the North Carolina Democratic Party Anderson Clayton and North Carolina General Assembly Minority Leader Robert Reives both spoke about Hudson\u2019s comments and the apparent refusal of Republican representatives to hold in-person town halls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018I really wanted to bring people to rural North Carolina and I wanted to bring the people’s town hall to a place where you don’t normally find,\u2019 Clayton said. \u2018Even though they’ve been doing it across the country, I feel like it’s been in other bigger places versus coming out to a red rural county and saying, no, we’re gonna show up even here.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThroughout their remarks to attendees, Murphy and Frost continuously called out Hudson for not holding in-person town halls. Murphy said to attendees that the job of a congressman was to show up for their constituents, but Hudson is hiding. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018This isn\u2019t about Democrats versus Republicans, it\u2019s about the people versus the problem,\u2019 Frost said. \u2018This movement is about addition not subtraction.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Associated Press<\/strong><\/a>: Sen. Chris Murphy\u2019s \u2018emergency\u2019 message about Trump is connecting with Democratic voters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Mary Clare Jalonick, 4\/26\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018We are doing the job that these Republican congressmen and senators won\u2019t do,\u2019 Murphy told the hyped-up crowd of mostly older voters at the event, while acknowledging that Democrats need to do more to soothe their anxiety and counter President Donald Trump. \u2018I want to make sure that everywhere, in every corner of this country, people are willing to stand up and fight.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n MSNBC<\/strong><\/a>: VIDEO: ‘Welcome to the team’: Chris Murphy, Maxwell Frost hold town halls where Republicans won’t<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost speaking to voters in North Carolina’s 9th district. Now, Frost does not represent those folks at that town hall. The guy that actually got voted into that district is \u2026 Republican Congressman Richard Hudson. He is the one who told Republicans across the country to stop holding in-person town halls after they all started getting tough questions. So, Congressman Frost, along with Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, showed up instead, along with nearly 800 constituents, and listened to questions from folks in Congressman Hudson’s district.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Colorado: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Rep. Greg Casar joined a town hall hosted by the Colorado Democratic Party to call out Rep. Gabe Evans\u2019 (CO-08) absence at in-person town halls after voting to fatten billionaires\u2019 pockets at his constituents\u2019 expense. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Washington Post<\/strong><\/a>: Democrats take fight to red districts as Republicans shirk town halls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Matthew Choi, 4\/24\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt a town hall Thursday night, Rep. Greg Casar fielded questions about possible cuts to Medicaid, unequal funding in public schools and how Democrats were responding to President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut this was not his district. The Democrat from Texas was speaking to Rep. Gabe Evans\u2019s constituents \u2014 on the Colorado Republican\u2019s home turf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018So you might ask, what\u2019s a congressman from Texas doing here in Colorado doing town halls? And the answer is this: My title actually isn\u2019t congressman,\u2019 Casar, a native of Austin, told a crowded high school auditorium. \u2018It\u2019s representative, and the person that is supposed to be representing you here in Colorado is not acting like a representative. He\u2019s acting like an employee of the Trump-Musk organization.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018My message here today, saying that Gabe Evans shouldn\u2019t be voting to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,\u2019 Casar said, \u201c\u2018that message isn\u2019t just a progressive message.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colorado Newsline<\/strong><\/a>: Rep. Gabe Evans absent as Colorado Democrats blast him at \u2018People\u2019s Town Hall\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Chase Woodruff, 4\/24\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore than 100 people gathered Thursday in a high school auditorium in Thornton for the latest in a series of \u2018People\u2019s Town Halls\u2019 organized by the Democratic National Committee across the country, in districts where Republican members of Congress have declined to hold in-person town halls themselves. In place of Evans, attendees asked questions of Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat in his second term representing Texas\u2019 35th District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018My title actually isn\u2019t congressman. The title is representative,\u2019 Casar told the crowd. \u2018And the person that is supposed to be representing you here in Colorado is not acting like a representative. He\u2019s acting like an employee of the Trump-Musk organization, and he\u2019s not going to show up and answer your questions.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCasar and Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib shared the stage with a cardboard cutout of Evans \u2014 complete with chicken legs for a lawmaker who Rebecca Miller, a hospice nurse criticizing Evans\u2019 support for Medicaid cuts, said was too \u2018chicken\u2019 to hold a proper town hall. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018We are not going to let Gabe Evans continue to be employee of the month for Donald Trump,\u2019\u201d Murib said. \u2018We are not going to continue to let this cardboard cutout stay away from the people.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Austin American-Statesman<\/strong><\/a>: National Democrats turn to U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin to rally working class voters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [James Osborne, 4\/25\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCasar has been visiting GOP districts in Texas and around the country in response to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s direction to Republican members to stop holding town halls, to avoid potential confrontations with protesters. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Colorado, Democratic leaders are hoping Casar can help swing back working-class voters in a heavily Latino district with large numbers of Trump voters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Missouri: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joined Missouri Democrats in hosting a town hall to call out vulnerable Republican Ann Wagner (MO-02) for championing Trump\u2019s out-of-touch budget agenda that rips away critical federal programs for Missourians while refusing to hold a town hall. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spectrum News<\/strong><\/a>: With new national support, Missouri Democrats eye chance to unseat Wagner in 2nd congressional district<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Gregg Palermo, 4\/25\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA few weeks after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee identified Missouri\u2019s second congressional district as one of its targets to be in play in 2026, Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a leading national voice in the party, continued his tour of Republican strongholds by coming to Chesterfield to talk to Democrats about mobilizing to unseat incumbent Ann Wagner next year. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018I\u2019m here because this moment is exceptional. This is not politics as normal. And so if you\u2019re a United States Senator and you care about democracy and you care about shared prosperity, then you can\u2019t spend your time only in your state or in your district,\u2019 Murphy said. \u2018We have to be about the business of building a national mobilization of a size and scope that this country has never witnessed before.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMurphy compared congressional Republicans\u2019 plans to cut spending, potentially on Medicaid, to the 2017 move to repeal the Affordable Care Act, an effort that ultimately failed when Republicans in the Senate, including John McCain, voted it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n KSDK<\/strong><\/a>: Democrats hold ‘People’s Town Hall’ in absent GOP Rep’s district<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Mark Maxwell, 4\/25\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn a strategic push to retake congressional control in 2026, Democrats hosted a packed \u2018People’s Town Hall\u2019 Friday in Republican Rep. Ann Wagner’s Missouri district, challenging her long running absence from public constituent forums. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018We’re going to make it very clear to Ann Wagner and every other Republican in this country that are hiding from their constituents that if they don’t represent the people that voted them into office, they’re not going to stay in office,\u2019 Murphy told the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMurphy even recorded a selfie video addressed directly to Wagner as attendees chanted \u2018Where are you?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018Representative Wagner, I am here with some great public servants here in Missouri, and we are doing what you refuse to do, which is talk to your constituents,\u2019 Murphy said in the video. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018We beat Ann Wagner and we get the House of Representatives back in Democratic hands,\u2019 Murphy said.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n St. Louis Post-Dispatch<\/strong><\/a>: Over 1,000 attend Chesterfield town hall led by prominent Democrat in Ann Wagner\u2019s district<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Ezra Bitterman, 4\/25\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cU.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, held a town hall that drew about 1,200 attendees to Chesterfield, a prosperous suburb in west St. Louis County in the heart of the GOP-leaning 2nd Congressional District. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFriday\u2019s event covered a range of subjects but frequently returned to a common theme: \u2018Where\u2019s Ann Wagner?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe question raised by members of the audience and by Murphy was both literal and figurative. Where is Ann Wagner physically, as she holds few town halls in her district. But also where is Ann Wagner on the issues, as Republicans in Congress ponder cutting popular government programs, including Medicaid. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018There are Republicans and Democrats in every single state who do not want Donald Trump to get away with his campaign to destroy democracy,\u2019 Murphy said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch. \u2018It makes sense for Democrats in Washington to be everywhere, to be in states that Donald Trump won, and to be in states that Donald Trump lost.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Washington: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Rep. Emily Randall joined Washington Democrats in hosting a town hall to hold Rep. Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) accountable for voting to greenlight Trump\u2019s disastrous budget plan that would make Washington families\u2019 lives harder. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spokesman-Review<\/strong><\/a>: Rep. Emily Randall, state and local Democrats address Spokane in \u201cPeople\u2019s Town Hall\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [Emry Dinman, 4\/25\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRep. Emily Randall, Washington\u2019s other freshman member of congress, traveled to Rep. Michael Baumgartner\u2019s district Friday with other notable local and state Democrats to speak to residents and hear their concerns about \u2018illegal and damaging actions by Trump, Musk and their allies.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018We are here to show him how real democracy works, where you hear from the people, and not just campaign donors,\u2019 said state Democratic party Chair Shasti Conrad, who was also on the panel at Friday\u2019s town hall. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018But in the other Washington right now, there is no incentive for Republicans to work with Democrats,\u2019 Randall said. \u2018In fact, there are disincentives; this president, Elon Musk, they make phone calls to any Republican members who are not standing up for the party line, who are not stroking the ego of this president.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe stated that the White House and Republicans in Congress were irresponsibly slashing the federal government, relying on \u2018an algorithm that uses more power and water than it does good to cut people\u2019s jobs, their livelihoods, the funding that we need to ensure the benefits which they continue saying they\u2019re not cutting.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cZappone spoke to the local impacts of federal funding freezes, totaling $62 million that stopped flowing and touching areas including police equipment, DUI court, wildfire defenses, a frozen program to plant trees in areas of the city without them, and over $25 million in water and sewer infrastructure funding. He argued that the Trump administration\u2019s aggressive stance on deportations had driven away immigrants from shopping and working downtown, and noted recent reporting that fewer Canadian tourists were visiting amid rising tensions between the two countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Nebraska: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna joined a town hall hosted by the Nebraska Democratic Party to spotlight how Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03) continues to flee from his constituents instead of meeting them face-to-face at town halls to answer for why he chose billionaires over the people he represents. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n