Senator Andy Kim Brings Town Halls to GOP Strongholds as Republicans Stay Silent

During a recent break from Congress, Senator Andy Kim held three in-person town halls in New Jersey, visiting districts represented by Republicans who have not been holding these types of meetings.

Kim, now serving as a U.S. Senator, chose to visit Egg Harbor City on March 20, Branchburg on March 21, and Brick Township on March 22—towns located in the districts of Republican Representatives Jeff Van Drew, Tom Kean Jr., and Chris Smith.

These town halls allowed Kim to hear directly from residents about their concerns, especially regarding the Republican budget proposal that would cut funding for Medicaid, education, and programs that help working families.

At each event, he explained what could happen if these cuts proceeded and listened to what people in New Jersey wanted him to fight for when he returned to Washington.

Each town hall took place at a local venue.

The first event was at the Teamsters Local 331 Hall in Egg Harbor City at 6 PM, the second at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg at 5 PM, and the third at the Brick Township Police Athletic League at 10 AM.

Kim’s decision to hold town halls in Republican-held districts was deliberate, aimed at giving people in these areas a chance to speak directly to a federal lawmaker when their representatives have not done so.

Senator Kim has a long record of holding town halls. Before joining the Senate at the end of 2024, he held 81 such events while serving in the House of Representatives.

Since becoming a Senator, he has held two telephone town halls; these three recent in-person events bring his total to 86.

Kim has said hearing from people directly is important to him, and he plans to continue holding town halls regularly to stay in touch with New Jerseyans’ concerns.

In contrast, Representatives Van Drew, Kean, and Smith have not been holding in-person town halls and have instead used telephone town halls.

Van Drew has used this method since the start of the COVID pandemic, saying it works better for his large, spread-out South Jersey district. He also says it helps avoid disruptions at in-person events, where a small number of people may cause problems instead of asking real questions.

Smith has avoided in-person town halls for years, believing they often turn into arguments rather than helpful discussions. In 2018, he stated that some attendees acted disrespectfully, which made him decide not to hold more in-person events.

Kean, who has been in the House for two years, has also preferred telephone events and has another one scheduled for March 26, pointing to smaller meetings with veterans and seniors as ways he stays in touch with his district.

However, some people in Kean’s district believe this is not enough.

His district is expected to be highly competitive in the next election, and former Representative Tom Malinowski, who lost his seat to Kean in 2022, recently held a town hall in Summit, part of Kean’s district, to fill what he called a leadership void.

Both of Kean’s current Democratic challengers, Greg Vartan and Rebecca Bennett, attended that event, using it as a chance to connect with voters.

Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from Ewing, also held a town hall in Van Drew’s district in Pleasantville after Van Drew declined to attend. At the town hall, people discussed possible cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Watson Coleman has offered to attend town halls in Van Drew’s, Kean’s, and Smith’s districts to explain how they voted on the Republican budget plan, which includes cutting $880 billion from Medicaid through the Energy and Commerce Committee.

She pointed out that these cuts would affect many people in New Jersey, with Van Drew’s district including over 176,000 Medicaid recipients, Smith’s district more than 178,000—including nearly 100,000 children—and Kean’s district about 70,000.

All three Republicans voted in favor of the House budget plan, which could lead to these reductions.

While these Republicans have avoided in-person town halls, many Democrats in New Jersey have continued holding them.

Representatives Donald Norcross and Herb Conaway have already hosted in-person events this year, and Representative LaMonica McIver has one scheduled for March 21. Others, like Frank Pallone and Josh Gottheimer, have chosen to hold virtual events instead.

Gottheimer hosts a monthly online forum called “Cup of Joe with Josh,” and Nellie Pou, a new member of Congress, is planning her first town hall soon.

Senator Kim serves on several Senate committees, including Commerce, Science, Transportation, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Homeland Security, and Aging. He is also the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance.

Recently, he introduced a bill to reinstate veterans who were removed by the Trump administration and has worked to defend programs that support families and workers.

In addition to town halls, Kim connects with residents through a monthly interview on WNYC called “Ask Your Senator,” a program that lets New Jerseyans call in and speak with him directly, giving them another way to share their concerns and ask questions.