Rep. McMorris Rodgers, challenged Republican, lays on four town meetings
McMorris Rodgers is into controlling message and the setting where it is delivered. She held just one town hall, in Spokane, all of last year. She is known for invitation-only events called "Coffees with Cathy" where she is much more likely to be among friends.
But she faces a Democratic challenger, former Washington State University-Spokane chancellor Lisa Brown, who has been holding community forums and meet-and-greet sessions across Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District.
The Politico website, four days ago, ran a long piece: "House leaders' biggest 2018 fear: The lazy Republican. GOP members who haven't had a tough race in years are being warned to start running scared."
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She has lately made news, in both Washingtons, as a Republican "star" suddenly facing stiff competition. McMorris Rodgers endorsed President Trump in the 2016 Washington presidential primary, and has been the public face of Trump administration programs in this state.
The McMorris Rodgers blitz will begin with a "Farm Bill and Market Access" town hall in the Walla Walla Airport Conference Room at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. At 3 p.m., she will hold a "Conversations with Cathy" town hall at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Dayton.
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The town halls last just an hour. All are scheduled during hours when many constituents will be at work.
There's a marked difference from 25 years ago when the 5th District's last Democratic congressman, House Speaker Tom Foley, came calling during the Easter recess.
Foley would hold town halls in the evening. Unlike McMorris Rodgers' events, where constituents draw lots to see who asks questions, Foley took on all covers over events that could last 2 1/2 hours. He would often sit down afterwards with a local high school student working on a term paper.
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