Washington — Over the April recess, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus crisscrossed the country as part of the “Democrats Show Up” campaign, bringing town halls, rallies, and trainings directly to voters—especially in Republican-held districts where GOP lawmakers have refused to meet with constituents.
With Republican leadership reportedly discouraging town halls, progressives are stepping in to fill the void. From Texas to California to Nebraska, Progressive Caucus members showed up—listening to community concerns, organizing resistance efforts, and rallying energy on the ground ahead of 2026 and beyond.
SOUTHERN STATES: Texas, North Carolina, and More
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Rep. Greg Casar held town halls in Texas’ 10th District and Colorado’s 8th District, speaking directly with residents abandoned by their Republican representatives.
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Rep. Joaquin Castro met with voters in Fredericksburg, TX (TX-21)—a district represented by GOP Rep. Chip Roy.
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Rep. Maxwell Frost and Sen. Chris Murphy traveled to North Carolina’s 9th District, holding a high-energy event to spotlight attacks on Medicaid and Social Security.
WESTERN STATES: California, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep. Ro Khanna spoke at the Senator’s historic Fighting Oligarchy rally in Los Angeles, CA, drawing a massive crowd of over 30,000.
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The Sanders team continued with rallies across the West, including:
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Rep. Nanette Barragán hosted a town hall in Corona, CA (CA-41)—in GOP Rep. Ken Calvert’s district.
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Rep. Yassamin Ansari held a town hall in Arizona’s 1st District, engaging directly with constituents underserved by Republican leadership.
MIDWEST: Nebraska and Wisconsin
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Rep. Ro Khanna hosted a town hall in rural Nebraska on Friday, April 25th.
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Rep. Mark Pocan held two town halls in Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s Wisconsin district, including a recent event on April 22, continuing to build progressive visibility in swing regions.
NORTHEAST: New Jersey
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Rep. Ro Khanna also made stops in New Jersey’s 7th District, meeting with voters about kitchen-table issues and delivering a progressive vision for economic justice.
ORGANIZING AND RESISTANCE TRAININGS
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal hosted her third Resistance Lab in April—a virtual training session on nonviolent resistance attended by over 2,000 participants. The program continues to energize a new generation of organizers fighting authoritarianism and disinformation.
