Tony McCombie should consider taking a page from the Sean Casten playbook.
Casten, a Downers Grove Democrat who represents Illinois’ Sixth Congressional District, is hosting a town hall session April 12 in Dixon. That city is in the 16th Congressional District, represented by Peoria Republican Darin LaHood. Casten plans similar events in the 12th and 15th districts, served respectively by Reps. Mike Bost and Mary Miller.
“I was first motivated to run for Congress in part because my predecessor refused to meet with Illinoisans during the first Trump Administration,” Casten said in a release where he vowed to keep meeting with his own constituents as well as those in “some of the deepest red areas of Illinois.”
Paging back through newspaper archives from the spring of 2018 reveals paragraphs that could be from last week: few Republicans dared to host in-person events, and those who did met standing-room-only crowds angry about immigration and health care policies. Attendees proudly displayed identification to rebut claims of bused-in paid protesting. In districts where incumbents wouldn’t appear, activists gathered anyway to berate posters or cardboard cutouts.
There are left-leaning voters in every Illinois precinct, just as faithful right-wingers inhabit even the bluest communities. Casten’s outreach efforts might encourage and empower those upset with the current climate in Washington, D.C., and it’s just as likely he encounters voters quite satisfied with the country’s direction.
McCombie, the Savanna Republican who is the Illinois House minority leader, could execute the same playbook in any one of 78 House districts with a Democratic representative.
“Over the last few weeks, Republicans have unveiled legislative bill packages on curbing human trafficking, supporting working families, stopping illegal immigration, ethics reform and improving public safety,” McCombie said in a March 26 release decrying how “the Democratic supermajority has chosen to push their radical priorities.”
Casten knows his party lacks the votes to block Republican policy, just as McCombie understands Illinois Republicans can’t overcome the Statehouse math tilting heavily in Democrats’ favor. As such, it’s important to increase potential pressure on the electrical consequences of going along with the majority.
Election winners often vow to be representatives for all constituents, not just those who filled in the correct oval. But all too frequently, they take the oath of office and quickly seek solace in the partisan echo chamber where they hear only from like-minded voters.
Town halls aren’t the only possible interface, and perhaps the least efficient means of getting help with a specific problem. But officials of any stripe who avoid public accountability deserve to have that reticence called to attention.
Political maps don’t define us as people, and not every issue has a clear left-right divide. Blurring those lines can benefit everyone.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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