Democrats dive into GOP districts, accusing Republicans of avoiding constituents

Source: The Hill

04/20/25 12:00 PM ET


House Democrats are diving back into GOP districts to conduct town halls during the long spring recess, escalating an unusual tactic they’re hoping will help them win over battleground voters. The gambit — aimed at districts held by Republicans facing tough reelection contests — was initiated after House GOP leaders advised Republican lawmakers not to meet face-to-face with voters in large, public forums amid the outcry over President Trump’s efforts to remake Washington.

In March, a handful of Democrats ventured into GOP districts to stage town halls put on by grassroots activists and local party affiliates. They’ve expanded the effort this month, using the two-week holiday break to visit Republican-held districts in states spanning from coast to coast.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have gained the most attention as they traverse the country on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which launched in March. In recent days the pair has barnstormed through Republican strongholds in the West, including stops in Montana, Utah and Idaho, attracting large crowds in the process.

But they’re hardly alone. On a smaller scale, individual House Democrats — some coordinating with the Democrats’ national campaign arms, others not — are also hopping into Republican territory to take their anti-Trump arguments directly to voters. A large part of the message is calling out GOP lawmakers for declining to conduct similar public events. “Republicans shouldn’t be hiding from their constituents,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said Friday in an email.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5256475-house-democrats-republican-tactics/