Seething constituents in Florida’s 3rd congressional district are raising their ire. They’re furious at their Republican Congresswoman Kat Cammack for not having had a town hall since before Donald Trump started draining the swamps in January. Action from the residents of Gainesville, Ocala, and surrounding rural communities. They have staged “empty chair” town halls to showcase their anger over her non-attendance and failure to engage.
Cammack, who first won her seat in 2020 with 57.1% of the vote and secured re-election in 2022 and 2024 with more than 60%, has maintained a standing policy of meeting with any constituent who requests an audience. In fact, her office has already booked meetings with more than three dozen people all in the span of one week. Opponents say that doesn’t come close to making up for the lack of broader community discussions that town halls often provide.
People are afraid. They’re celebrating when their social security check shows up because they’re afraid it might not, said Jenn Powell, shining a light on the economic security issues most Ohioans are facing right now. From worries over social security to the fate of locally-programmed projects, with a rural community health nurse asking, Cuts to head start would be devastating and we need more programs. Well, what’s your plan to pay for these programs?
Yet even with these urgent concerns, Cammack hasn’t held a single in-person public forum over the past four years. Her office has made answering a very high volume of correspondence their top priority. Since taking office, they have responded to more than 547,000 letters. To date, Cammack’s team has done over 36 town halls via teletown halls and in-person events. In fact, during this time period, they have reached out to almost 390,000 unique constituents.
Residents in the district have expressed their frustration over their lack of access and inability to communicate with their representative. “She’s not trying to listen to her constituents, and that’s a problem for the people who elected her. How can you not hear from us, or don’t want to hear from us when we have major concerns?” asked Ebonie Bryant. One other Levy County resident expressed their worry by saying, “I need you to fight for us, not Trump.” This comment underscored the increasingly lost alignment between the ranked congresswoman’s priorities and her district’s constituents’ interest.
Cammack wrote the Reins Act to avoid executive overreach, but hasn’t reintroduced it since Trump was inaugurated. Even with her past deep engagement in state legislative issues, voters have already begun questioning her priorities. “Why are we not looking out for research that fuels this town?” one voter queried, reflecting a desire for more focus on local economic development.
As you might expect, frustration has boiled over. Now, constituents meet in “Cammack’s chair is empty” town halls to air their complaints in a way that underscores Cammack’s absence. One participant stated, “It’s very important for us to hear from her because of what’s been going on the past 100 days with the presidency of [Donald Trump].” These shows provide an important platform for local residents to express their anger. They are rightly indignant at the failure of their got-elected-representative-to-not-get-engaged.
In response to the growing tensions, Cammack characterized the empty chair gatherings as “performative and designed for theatre, not productive conversations.” She emphasized her interest in collaboration over conflict and reiterated her office’s commitment to addressing constituent needs through direct meetings.
“We’re still in rebuilding mode,” said one resident of Levy County, emphasizing the needs from after recent challenges faced by the active faith-based community. The mood strikes a chord with many locals who believe they’ve earned their voices heard during these decision-making moments.
Cammack, who is pregnant, is adept at juggling her duties as a member of Congress. Voters are continuing to turn up the heat, calling for more transparency and direct interaction, and we’re not sure how she plans to address it.