by John Boyle, avlwatchdog.org
Despite other Republican members of Congress recently holding town hall gatherings that devolved into raucous shouting matches, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., has scheduled an event in Asheville for Thursday, March 13.
“I’ve had many constituents ask me lately if I could hold another live town hall. The answer is most emphatically, yes,” Edwards said in a news release March 3. “Being accessible, listening, and answering questions for the people of WNC are among my favorite activities, even if we might not always agree.”
Edwards will hold the in-person town hall from 6-7:30 p.m. at Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech.
Edwards, who breezed to reelection last November in the staunchly conservative 11th Congressional District, held eight in-person town halls in his first term and had another planned but had to cancel it due to Tropical Storm Helene.
Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper said town hall events are important interactions between elected officials and their constituents. Cooper also said it’s noteworthy that Edwards, who lives in Hendersonville, will hold an event in Asheville, one of the few liberal areas in the district.
“He’s going right into the belly of the beast,” Cooper said. “It’s meaningful. It signals that he is not trying to avoid a situation that might run counter to his partisan interests.”
In June 2023 Edwards hosted an anti-crime summit at A-B Tech after a series of reports in the Asheville Watchdog and other media regarding increased concerns about public safety among downtown business owners, residents, and visitors.
Last week, Edwards issued a statement about town halls but would not confirm any pending events. Edwards said then he hoped to maintain a pace of about one town hall per quarter this term, depending on his legislative calendar.
“Additionally, I continue to hold regular tele-town halls, which allow many more folks to participate directly by simply dialing in,” Edwards said.
In recent weeks, several Republican Congressional members have encountered hostile crowds at their town hall meetings in the wake of the Trump administration’s widespread firings of federal workers and shuttering of programs.
Cooper noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson, also a Republican, suggested last week that Democrats were packing the town halls to make them look contentious.
“It appears that there was some guidance from Speaker Johnson’s office that legislators — Republican members of Congress — should not hold town halls, because some of them have resulted in bad press for the members,” Cooper said. “So yeah, I am pleased that Edwards would host a town hall.”
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
