Republican congressman from Michigan won’t meet with voters—so Dems are doing it for him

AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

By Kyle Kaminski

March 28, 2025

Republican US Rep. John James won’t sit down to meet with voters in his district. So Democratic US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and US Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-Florida) are flying into Michigan on Saturday to hold a town hall meeting with Michiganders instead.

MICHIGAN—The Michigan Democratic Party is hosting a public town hall meeting on Saturday afternoon to discuss the “damaging effects” that President Donald Trump’s administration is having “on Michiganders and families across the country,” according to a press release.

The event is set to begin at 2 p.m. at the UAW Region 1 headquarters in Warren. Those who would like to attend and ask questions are encouraged to RSVP, as capacity will be limited.

Organizers said they decided to host the event in Michigan’s 10th congressional district because Republican US Rep. John James has refused to host a public town hall meeting of his own.

“James and President Donald Trump are pushing an agenda that will force working Michiganders to suffer to line the pockets of billionaires,” the press release states. “Michiganders deserve representation that listens to their concerns and works toward solutions.”

Among the speakers: US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and US Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Florida), as well as Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and former Democratic state lawmaker Curtis Hertel, the newly elected chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party.

Murphy and Frost released a video this week on social media to announce the forum, where they contended that James was “hiding from his constituents” by refusing to meet with them.

“Maxwell Frost and I have worked together for a really long time. We’ve won some really big fights, but the one that we’re involved in right now—the fight for our democracy, the fight against corruption, this is the biggest one,” Murphy said. “So, we’re teaming up on this fight, too.”

That fight includes “the fight to stop the billionaire takeover of our government, our country, and our democracy,” Frost added, also calling out Republicans for their efforts to cut Medicaid.

The “People’s Town Hall” in Warren is the first in a new nationwide tour from the national Democratic Party, where Murphy and Frost will travel the country to “highlight how the Trump administration is hurting families in order to enrich their ultrarich friends,” according to a release.

The ‘Gander will have a reporter at the event. Stay tuned for more coverage.

Don’t miss Michigan’s biggest stories—follow The ‘Gander on X.

Author

Kyle Kaminski

Kyle Kaminski is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience covering news across Michigan. Prior to joining The ‘Gander, Kyle worked as the managing editor at City Pulse in Lansing and as a reporter for the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: NATIONAL POLITICS

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Michiganders and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at The 'Gander has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Michigan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.