How to organize an “empty chair” town hall for your Republican representative

If you have a Republican representative and you invite them but they refuse to attend

Friends,

[The following appeared in The Talbot Spy of March 23, 2025, as a letter to the editor from Wilson Dean.]

On Saturday, March 22nd, 800 people filled the Mace Lane Middle School in Cambridge, MD, to capacity for a Town Hall to discuss President Trump’s policies and District 1 Representative Andy Harris’ role in supporting them.

Harris represents Cambridge, MD. He was invited but refused to attend, leading to the placement of a large milk carton on the stage with ‘MIA” and “Missing” in large letters.

Throughout the meeting Representative Harris was referred to as “AWOL Andy.”

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman from Maryland’s District 8, replaced the absent Harris.

Raskin, a former law professor who was elected in 2017, focused his comments on the unconstitutionality of Trump’s actions attempting to dismantle federal agencies and programs. Citing the language of the Constitution verbatim from memory, he took the audience through Articles I through III of the Constitution that specify the powers of Congress, the Executive, and the Courts. He summarized his discussion by noting that the Congress enacts laws and funds programs, whereas it is the Executive’s responsibility to implement them.

Raskin also reiterated the recent warning from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts that, if disagreeing with a court’s decision, the proper course of action is to appeal that decision and not call for a judge’s impeachment. While Roberts did not name the President, it was clearly in response to Trump’s earlier call for the impeachment of US District Judge James Boasberg, who had issued a temporary injunction to halt the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

When citizens in the Town hall rose to ask questions, there was a considerable amount of ridiculing of Representative Harris’ claims that he did not want to attend these kinds of meetings because the Democratic Party was busing in paid, out-of-area protesters to disrupt them. When people attending the event asked questions, most of them identified where they lived in District 1.

Many of these individuals asked what ordinary people could do to halt what they characterized as the President’s unconstitutional actions. Representative Raskin responded that it was important to attend public events such as this meeting as well as look to electing more responsive legislators in the 2026 elections.

Representative Raskin’s presentation and responses to questions were widely applauded during the meeting. He was awarded numerous standing ovations throughout the event, and was asked by some participants whether he would be willing to run to be the District 1 Representative or even President in the future. Raskin jokingly responded he would do anything to further the cause of democracy in America.

The event was sponsored by Cambridge Indivisible. At the conclusion of the meeting, they indicated a March on Washington DC was planned for April 5th on the Washington Monument grounds. The “Hands Off” march is being organized by the national Indivisible organization with other organizations (such as The Women’s March) also planning to rally that day.