U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist Sets Town Hall Meeting

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Constituents of U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist who want to voice their opinions about the goings on in Washington, D.C., and across the country will get their chance this weekend. The Democrat from St. Petersburg has announced a Town Hall meeting for Saturday.

“My number one job is to be the voice of the people – hearing from my neighbors on issues of concern, advocating for the needs of our community, and providing updates on my work on behalf of Florida’s 13th district,” Crist said in a statement.

The newly minted Congressman’s town hall will take place from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, March 4 at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, 200 6th Ave. S. The event will be staged in the University Student Center’s second floor grand ballroom.

“My constituents are my boss, and this town hall will be an open forum for Pinellas residents to share their views and priorities so I can better serve them in Washington,” Crist said.

Crist’s announcement comes as other elected officials have shied away from hosting town halls or have found their events disrupted by protesters.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has been under fire from constituents across Florida for failing to host his own town hall meetings. The Republican from South Florida has been quoted as saying town halls have turned into spectacles that have been taken over by liberal activists.

Rubio’s failure to schedule town halls have sparked their own protests. People gathered outside his Orlando office Tuesday demanding the Senator meet with his constituents, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Regular protests outside Rubio’s Tampa office have resulted in the Senator’s lease not being renewed. That office is scheduled to close this Friday, March 3.

While the search is on for a new Tampa office location, folks in the Tampa Bay area may find themselves having to drive to Orlando for face-to-face meetings with the Senator or his staff for a while. A new location had not been found as of Wednesday morning.

Photo of U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist courtesy of the U.S. House