Congress Candidate Josh Welle Holds Town Hall Aug. 2

JACKSON, NJ — Josh Welle, the Democrat who this fall hopes to unseat the area's longtime Republican congressman, Rep. Chris Smith, is holding a town hall this Thursday night, Aug. 2 in Jackson.

Interestingly, Smith admits he hasn't held or attended a town hall meeting in decades, a fact Welle appears to be trying to capitalize off of. Welle is pictured at left, and Smith is at right.

Many other elected officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, hold town halls for two main reasons: As a way to capture media attention and interact with voters. They're how former Gov. Chris Christie, with his bellicose but engaging repartee with voters, rose to popularity. Current Gov. Phil Murphy had several on the campaign trail.

Smith stopped doing town halls years ago because of what he said was bad behavior by the public and even threats to his staff.

Last winter, liberal groups in Monmouth County hosted a town hall event and invited Smith to attend, to which his spokesman Jeff Sagnip released the following statement to the Asbury Park Press: "Smith personally told activists over ten days ago that he would not attend a partisan event disguised as a town hall, as Smith has no intention of subjecting his constituents to the animosity and hostility that has been directed at him and his staff ... Smith regrets that the town hall as an honest, effective means of communication is being undermined by political expedience that relies on disruptions, disorder and deceit."

Sagnip also said a 17-year-old interning for Rep. Smith had been verbally abused by a constituent who called their office and that Smith has been called names such as "raving lunatic," "hateful bigot" and "smug piece of conservative garbage."

Welle appears to be trying to take advantage of Smith's reluctance.

"Representative Chris Smith has not held a town hall in our district in 24 years," said Welle's campaign in a statement. "If Chris Smith will not listen to the concerns of the citizens he represents in Congress, Josh Welle will. Join Josh Welle for his first town hall event, in which he will be responding to the questions and concerns of the citizens of New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District."

Who: Josh Welle, Democratic candidate for NJ-4 Congressional District
What: The first Town Hall event held in NJ-4 in 24 years
Where: Am Vets Post; 1290 Toms River Rd, Jackson, NJ, 08527
When: Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.

The fourth congressional district covers nearly all of Monmouth County, including towns such as Holmdel, part of Middletown, Colts Neck, Rumson, Manalapan, Freehold, Red Bank and Wall Township. The fourth district also reaches into Jackson and Lakewood in Ocean County and Hamilton and Robbinsville in Mercer County. The district has voted for a Republican in the past four presidential elections by comfortable margins: Trump, Romney, McCain and Bush.

Despite efforts, Democrats haven't been able to unseat Smith, who has represented the area since 1981. Some speculate the 2018 midterms could be a year of change, as Democrats hope to ride a wave of anti-Trump backlash.

The election will be Nov. 6.

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