Democrats, activists plan rallies aimed at Johnson, Capito
PARKERSBURG — Two local events aimed at sending a message to Republican congressmen are planned for Saturday and Monday in Marietta and Parkersburg.
Next Wave Democrats of the Mid-Ohio Valley will assemble participants at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Washington County Democrat Party headquarters at 227 Putnam St., Marietta, located next to the Players Theatre, then at around 12:15 p.m. walk to Muskingum Park by way of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s office at 246 Front St., said organizer Ben Ekelman.
The group will stand by Johnson’s office in Marietta for only about a minute so that pedestrians on the sidewalk are not blocked and to be respectful of the merchants there, he said.
“We might stop there for about a minute, 30 seconds,” Ekelman said.
Rep. Johnson, R-Ohio, won’t be there as he has another event to which he committed, communications director Ben Keeler said.
“He already had a previously scheduled veterans event he’s going to,” Keeler said.
The peaceful walk then will go to the Start Westward monument at Muskingum Park on Front Street where speakers will discuss issues, including the Affordable Care Act, the repeal of the Stream Protection Rule, immigration and administration relations with Russia, Ekelman said.
“There should be a good crowd,” Ekelman said.
Johnson is a Republican representing the 6th Congressional District in Ohio, which includes Washington and surrounding counties. For more information on the rally, call Ekelman at 740 525-4708 or Cory Sampson at 740 336-0905.
At 11 a.m. Monday, Wood County Indivisible, the Progressive Democrats of Wood County and other groups will go to the Wood County Courthouse where scheduled is the mobile office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
The group will assemble at 10:45 a.m. at Bicentennial Park across the street and walk to the courthouse around 11 a.m., said organizer Jeanne Peters of Wood County Indivisible. Participants will disband after the meeting, she said.
The groups want Capito to hold a town hall meeting in the Parkersburg area, she said.
“It would be great if she would come see us face-to-face,” Peters said.
Capito spokesman Amy Graham said the office was unaware of Monday’s event.
“Mobile office hours are intended to be an opportunity for constituents to meet with Sen. Capito’s staff and receive help with case work or issues dealing with a federal agency,” she said. “These events are open to the public, and anyone who wishes to share their comments are welcome to attend.”
The group will politely ask the representative to take its concerns to the senator on a number of issues, Peters said. Those include the Affordable Care Act, Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, travel bans to and from Muslim nations, an investigation into Russian interference in the election and the release of the president’s tax returns to determine if there any potential conflicts with companies in Russia.
People in the group, most of whom have never participated in such events, would be impacted by the repeal of the health care act, as would many West Virginians, she said.
“We are very concerned with what that means for West Virginians,” Peters said.