500 Days, No Public Town Hall: Senator Marshall Continues “Tours” With History of Closed-Door and Canceled Events
IN KANSAS | July 14 will mark 500 days since Senator Marshall ran out of his Oakley, Kansas, town hall. Marshall called the constituents "rude" before walking away from Kansans asking real questions about DOGE cuts to veterans, SNAP benefits, and the real issues affecting their families and neighbors. Falsely stating later that the room was full of "paid democratic operatives". Despite other claims, Senator Marshall has not held an open-to-the-public town hall event since.
Back in February 2026, Senator Marshall announced a 50-county listening tour, but the announcement included no dates, times, or locations for the public. Kansans were given no way to find an event or participate. An email obtained by the Sunflower State Journalrevealed that Marshall's campaign was encouraging supporters to share details about his upcoming appearance only through emails and phone calls. Marshall’s campaign states that these meetings were to be only "with GOP folks and friends" and instructed organizers to "not leave room for disruption."
Many of these events' locations were announced only on the day they took place, limiting public awareness. Marshall's campaign kept event details largely private, ensuring that only invited attendees knew where he would be.
However, groups of Kansans learned about Marshall's scheduled appearances and drove to meet him, only to report that he never showed up. Marshall's campaign later stated that he had visited "Gibson's Ace Hardware," but attendees who waited outside the store for nearly an hour in the cold said they were ultimately told by the store manager that Marshall had canceled his visit. This happened not once, but twice. A second scheduled appearance was also canceled after details of Marshall's private event were shared publicly online.
Now, once again on July 3rd 2026, Marshall is claiming to be "visiting all 105 Kansas counties for the tenth time" with a new tour across Kansas. We're here to remind you that Marshall's so-called listening tours consist only of closed-door, private events where the general public is not invited. Senator Marshall claims he is listening to constituents, but he is carefully screening attendance to include only his supporters and friendly audiences. He is not listening to the real, everyday Kansans who are asking tough questions about the issues affecting their families, communities, and futures.
After more than 500 days without a public town hall, Kansans deserve more than closed doors. Being an elected official isn’t about controlling the audience—it’s about showing up, hearing from everyone, and answering directly to the people you represent.
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