AT “EMPTY CHAIR” TOWN HALL, REP. ISSA’S CONSTITUENTS AIR CONCERNS
Attendees object to Congressional Republicans ceding authority to executive branch
View video of the March 23 "Empty Chair Town Hall
By Karen Pearlman
Screenshot: Crowd chants "Shame" over Issa's refusal to hold a town hall in his district.
March 28, 2025 (Escondido) – Hundreds of constituents in Republican Congressional Rep. Darrell Issa’s district gathered at an “Empty Chair Town Hall” event at the California Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 23.
A standing-room only crowd in the venue that holds about 400 people expressed a variety of concerns about everything from healthcare needs and veterans’ services to immigration and education. The event was also live-streamed on social media.
Created to bring attention to what they say is Issa’s penchant to avoid meeting constituents in a Town Hall format, the event was organized by Indivisible North County San Diego.
Indivisible North County San Diego is part of a national nonprofit group. Indivisible and calls itself a social movement organization for those interested in working with others to take positive action for progressive values. It seeks to create an open-minded future, and believes in “protecting our values, our neighbors and ourselves” through mounting a resistance to the Trump agenda.
Indivisible North County San Diego says its resistance is built on values of inclusion, tolerance, fairness and non-violent action, and works in cooperation with other local groups that support its goals and objectives.
The audience listened to Allison Gill, a podcaster and owner of MSW Media, Inc., and five community leaders speak as well as try to answer questions that would have been directed at Issa.
“Darrell Issa, step back, my freedom is protected by the constitution,” Gill said. “My government that you and Elon Musk are trying to sledgehammer is protected by laws and Congress.”
The panelists with Mills were Escondido Deputy Mayor Consuelo Martinez, Vista Unified School District Board Member Cipriano Vargas, Danny Jackson, Max Disposti (founder and Executive Director of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center) and Joe Houde. A man in a chicken mask reflected the group's claim that Issa is "chicken" for avoiding holding a Town Hall.
The Empty Chair Town Hall was part of a nationwide effort encouraged by Indivisible National during the congressional recess from March 13-23. The national Indivisible group is also spearheading a protest set for noon on April 5 at the Civic Center in downtown San Diego.
Attendees at the local March 23 event said they were looking for answers about why Republicans in Congress seem to have forgotten that there are three branches of government and have ceded their authority to the Executive Branch.
Constituent Randy James asked, “Please explain to me and those in the 48th Congressional District why you’re changing opinion and monetary gains from Russia for Russians’ support… and removing support from for Ukraine. How does that help us in the 48th District? How does that help the U.S. and our 80-year-old international alliance?”
Physician and scientist Dr. Steve Shrewsbury said, “I had a whole list of questions… but the question that I’ve been asked to pose to Darrell is, ‘Do you support the indiscriminate apprehension of undocumented migrant workers who keep California agriculture?’ They make up they make up 50 to 70 percent of farmer thought according to January 2025 figures… ‘Where do you propose these workers be shipped to and who will replace them in keeping Southern California agriculture and construction running? These migrants generate… $23 billion each year to the state. How do you propose these losses will be made up?’ ”
Others asked why Issa is in favor of cutting thousands of jobs, what is going on with DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency) that has eliminated some agencies and implemented mass firings at others, and why the government feels it has to slash billions of dollars from the Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Medicaid.
Audience members said they wanted to know why Issa doesn’t appear to support “Dreamers” and those in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to some but doesn’t offer a path to citizenship). Several said it seems that Issa has forgotten that America is made up of immigrants and others felt Issa is rubber stamping orders from President Donald Trump.
Those at the two-hour event were adamant that their collective voice and individual voices are not being heard by Issa nor the current administration in Washington, D.C.
Martinez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, told those in attendance “I’m really happy that you’re all here to do your part so we can build a powerful movement in our region in order to challenge the craziness that is happening in D.C. I really believe that everything starts local and so that’s where I begin my fight and I’m here to be a resource and support all of you.”
Indivisible North County San Diego spokesperson Pamela Albergo said that Issa hadn’t held a Town Hall since 2017, “but the concerns of his constituents haven't gone away.”
The Times of San Diego reports that San Diego’s four other Congressional members -- all Democrats -- have not held live Town Halls in the past year either, though Rep. Sara Jacobs plans a live townhall April 22 in El Cajon.
Issa’s constituents say they have reached out to his office, but have been turned away.
Issa represents the 48th Congressional District, which encompasses some of East County and all of the Mountain Empire areas of San Diego County as well as part of southwestern Riverside County.
Issa’s 48th district includes the cities of Santee, Poway and northern Escondido. It also covers a wide swath of county areas including Alpine, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Bostonia, Boulevard, Campo, Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, Crest, Descanso, Fallbrook, Granite Hills, Jacumba, Jamul, Lakeside, Mount Laguna, Pine Valley, Potrero, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Valley Center and Winter Gardens.
The 48th also includes Temecula and Murrieta in Riverside County.
Asked about the Town Hall event, Issa did not respond for an official comment, but Jonathan Wilcox, communications director for the congressmen, said that in his more than 30 years of experience, Town Halls are very hit or miss for constituents.
“Constituents over the years have told us the format didn’t work for them -- not able to ask a question, not able to stand in line for a longer time, etc.,” Wilcox said. “Years ago, I think they were more common; nowadays we have so many ways to reach district residents. I think it’s a good mix.”
Wilcox said that of callers who contact Issa’s office about Town Halls, only about one of every 50 callers asks about them.
Issa also has done two “mobile offices,” as a way to reach people who are in areas not close to population centers, Wilcox said.
Wilcox also noted that “at the Vietnam-era veterans pinnings we did a while back, I’d say Rep. Issa personally met and spoke with at least 800 constituents. How many Town Halls would we need to do to have one-on-one conversations with 800 constituents?”
Gill said that Issa, who is a veteran, says on his webpage, “ ‘I love veterans… veterans are the backbone of this country.’ ”
“Then why are you helping slash 83,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans affairs?” Gill asked rhetorically. “Why are you helping gut the federal government that we built by the way? This is not a bloated government. We’ve been working on a skeleton crew for 50 years because of the Republicans like Darrell Issa… Darrell Issa doesn’t care about us.”
Claire Strong is a senior consultant for Galvanized Strategies, a company that provides strategic public affairs consulting and leadership services, and focuses on marketing, communications, government affairs, community engagement and executive leadership.
Strong said that “empty chair” events make a strong statement, but traditional Town Halls, where all parties are present, are far more productive for resolving issues.
“In my experience moderating contentious public meetings, I’ve seen how direct, face-to-face dialogue creates understanding and encourages real solutions, something an empty chair situation simply can't facilitate,” Strong said.
“Town Halls allow people on both sides of an issue to feel seen and heard, which is essential when it comes to addressing community concerns. When everyone is in the room, it leads to more constructive outcomes, while the absence of one side can have the opposite effect.”
