Democrats have been talking about “transparency” and outreach ever since President Obama came into office, but it’s the Republicans who are the most accessible to voters.
According to a calculation of events by the Hill watchers at LegiStorm, Republicans held nearly twice as many town halls as Democrats last year.
The numbers: 2,700 town halls, 1,712 by Republicans and 977 by Democrats in 2014.
When we asked Illinois Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren about the trend, he said, “It’s a great tool to reach many people who can’t always travel far for an in-person meeting. Being accessible to my constituents is important, that’s why I regularly meet with businesses, educators, manufacturers, farmers, students and many others to discuss what’s important to them.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
