PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A liberal group that wants better access to elected officials used a series of Wednesday rallies to call for Maine Sen. Susan Collins to hold a town hall event to address its concerns.
Mainers For Accountable Leadership hosted rallies in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston. The group referred to the rallies as “open air town halls,” and they attracted about 250 people to Portland, one of whom held a sign that said “Desperately Seeking Susan.”
The group has charged recently that Collins, a Republican, has been difficult for members of the public to reach.
“Listen to Maine and come out for a town hall,” group co-founder Marie Follayttar Smith told the crowd. “We expect her to speak up for the marginalized.”
The events Wednesday coincided with an appearance Collins made on public radio in Bangor. She said during the appearance that she isn’t a fan of the town hall meeting format and prefers to meet with constituents individually or in small groups.
Collins pointed out that she held a meeting with Mainers For Accountable Leadership on Tuesday that was livestreamed on Facebook. She said that type of meeting is more productive than town hall-style forums.
“A few voices dominate the entire thing and the vast majority don’t get to say a word,” she said. “I find that it’s much more constructive for me to sit down with groups and talk to them one on one.”
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