Clarke Tucker, the Democratic candidate for 2nd District Congress, says he won’t shy away from public appearances with constituents as Republican incumbent Rep. French Hill has done.

In a release, Tucker promised “monthly open, in-person meetings in the district” to hear from constituents. He said in a release:

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In his four years in office, Congressman Hill has very rarely held in-person town halls, instead preferring the occasional programmed telephone town hall, sometimes holding the phone calls even while present in the district. Now he is avoiding debates in his bid for a third term.

“It makes you wonder: why not just show up in the community, listen to the people you represent, and tell them what you believe?” Tucker said. “At the end of the day, Congressman Hill has not shown the accessibility or accountability 2nd District voters deserve, and I hope to provide that moving forward.”

Hill has declined to debate Tucker except in one AETN appearance and has dodged press questions on a variety of issues, making public appearances primarily in friendly settings not open to questions. He allows only select reporters to attend his news conferences. His press office won’t respond to questions from the Arkansas Times.

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