The Factory in Chesterfield was packed with Missouri Democrats from all across Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District on Aug. 13. The “town hall,” organized by the Missouri Democratic Party, offered a time for the public’s questions to be answered by Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois; the MDP says 2nd District Representative Ann Wagner, R-Missouri, is “ignoring the residents who elected her to Congress and avoiding any pushback on her record.”

“You deserve to have your questions answered, not to be avoided,” Duckworth said.

The event opened with various Missouri Democratic leaders taking the stage, and Duckworth was soon introduced by St. Louis politician and her former staffer, Mark Osmack, who led the question portion of the evening.

Duckworth shared her story as a veteran and senator. She used the time before questions to champion her belief in affordable housing, healthcare, public education, protections for veterans and federal workers and more. 

One large topic of discussion at the town hall was the redistricting efforts happening in Texas and how Missouri may be next on the docket. On Aug. 14, it was announced that Missouri is indeed headed to a special redistricting session in September, where lawmakers may seek to redraw Missouri’s 5th District to prevent Emanuel Cleaver from winning reelection in Kansas City.

Duckworth claims that these redistricting efforts are hurting Republican and independent voters in addition to Democrats. Her state of Illinois has hosted Texas legislators to work with them and discuss the redistricting happening in their state. 

“Obviously, they’re running scared to make sure these elections are not free and fair. In fact, you see these redistricting efforts that are happening in order to carve Democrats out of districts,” Duckworth said. “We need to make sure that we fight that effort.”