In Georgia, a Town Hall Meeting Congressional Aides Weren’t Ready For

Hundreds of people filled government offices in Greensboro, Ga. to try and air grievances to members of the staffs of US Senator David Perdue, US Senator Johnny Isakson and Representative Jody Hice. Staffers expected no more than four or five people. They got 500. Grant Blankenship/GPB

This was going to be a town hall whether anyone planned it that way or not.

Hundreds of people piled into the boardroom of the Green County Board of Commissioners to speak with workers from the offices of Senator David Perdue, Senator Johnny Isakson and 10th Congressional District Representative Jody Hice. Things started well when Jessica Hayes from Hice’s office shared some news.

“This is the largest crowd we’ve ever had for mobile office hours,” she said.

The crowd erupted with cheers. The next piece of news changed the mood.

“It is not a town hall,” Hayes told the throng, “We are not going to have a town hall meeting.”

Then came a cascade of boos and cries of “Shame!” Then a chant: “This is what democracy looks like!”

Greene County, Ga, Sheriff Donnie Harrison, left, mostly stayed out of the way and even encouraged the impromptu town hall meeting. Grant Blankenship/GPB

The day actually began as a common piece of congressional field work. Legislators often send people from the office to meet with citizens one-on-one to help them navigate some personal problem with the federal government. It was soon clear the representatives were not prepared for the outpouring.

The room quickly organized itself into a town hall anyway. One after another, speakers came to the podium to vent their fears for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, their opposition to President Trump’s Immigration Ban, education and other issues.

Greg Zesenhene, far left, a staffer for US Senator David Perdue and Jordan Wilcher, second from left, on the staff of Jody Hice of the House of Representatives, manage the flow of people into their back office. Right, Joshua Findlay of Hice’s office takes notes on the larger meeting. Grant Blankenship/GPB

The field reps stuck to their plan, setting up shop in a back office to see people one at a time. Guarding the door was Jordan Wilcher, also of Hice’s office. Wilcher is a Marine Corps veteran having served two tours in Afghanistan as a machine gunner. He scheduled this event and said typically he’d see about four people, not 400.

“This is exactly what I fought for,” Wilcher said. “Just because it doesn’t express my opinion? No. I love this.”

The meeting ended about 20 minutes late, but peacefully.

Allison Troxell of Atlanta vents her frustration at the lack of a town hall format for the meeting with representatives of Georgia’s two U.S. Senators and on House representative to Greg Ziesenhene of Senator David Perdue’s office during an impromptu town hall in Greensboro, Ga. Grant Blankenship/GPB