 "Republicans from toughest swing districts are not facing voters who are angry about Trump")
Many days over the past two weeks, no one answered the phone at any of U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s four offices.
Perry’s team did not share details about the Republican congressman’s public appearances until after they were over. Even supporters in Perry’s central Pennsylvania district said they could not remember the last time he hosted an in-person town hall.
The US House is ending a 17-day recess typically known as a district work period. Vulnerable Republicans, including Perry, have limited public appearances to avoid potential backlash from President Donald Trump’s early months back in office.
None of the 10 most vulnerable House Republicans — from Arizona, Colorado, California, Iowa, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — held in-person public events. Some favored invitation-only meetings announced only after they ended.
“They’re publicly elected officials. They ought to be accessible to the public,” said Robert Barton, a 57-year-old Republican civil engineer in Mechanicsburg.
Perry’s team did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye defended more controlled appearances. “And that’s smart for any politician,” he said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee said it encourages public engagement but warns against settings that could derail a member’s message. “We tell everyone, go out and meet people. You have to be in front of your constituents,” spokesman Mike Marinella said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., recently said that some meeting attendees “do this as a profession, they’re professional protesters,” and urged the use of tele-town halls instead.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDemocrats faced similar pressures during the 2010 debate over the Affordable Care Act and later lost the House. Republicans faced similar accusations of ducking town halls before their 2018 loss.
Now, Democrats are organising “People’s Town Halls” and “Good Trouble” events in districts where Republicans have limited access, hoping to flip the House in 2026.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley emphasized the stakes at an Iowa event, warning, “This midterm election cycle is going to determine whether we have a four-year presidency or a two-year presidency.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who won by just 799 votes, avoided public town halls during the recess, instead holding small events that were mostly publicized after the fact.
Perry, a former House Freedom Caucus chair who won reelection by 5,000 votes, is seen as vulnerable. Democrat Janelle Stelson, whom Perry defeated last fall, is expected to challenge him again.
“The title of the job is representative. It’s not actually about you, it’s about what the people you talk to care about and want you to accomplish for them,” Stelson said. “And I don’t understand how he can possibly know what that is when he’s never out among us.”
Some voters are frustrated. Mechanicsburg resident Tim Shollenberger struggled to get his questions answered during Perry’s April 2 tele-town hall.
“If you really care about the views of your constituents, get in a room and face them,” Shollenberger said.
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