Wen was the last time sam graves held a town hall
Executive summary
Local organizers and multiple news outlets report that activists say Rep. Sam Graves has not held an in-person town hall in St. Joseph since 2012; the Persisterhood and local papers organized an “empty chair” town hall March 24, 2025 after Graves declined to attend, with his office saying the congressman was voting in Washington that day [1] [2]. Graves’ official website and archived schedules show he has hosted town halls in past years (e.g., 2014 and a 2022 schedule), but available sources do not provide a definitive, contemporaneous listing proving his last in-person town hall date across the whole 6th District [3] [4] [5].
1. Empty chair event crystallizes a local claim
Multiple local outlets covering the March 2025 “Empty Chair Town Hall” repeatedly state the organizers believe Graves has not held an in-person town hall in St. Joseph since 2012; Persisterhood invited him to their March 24 meeting, he declined, and the group proceeded with roughly 300 participants to air grievances about federal cuts and local impacts [1] [2] [6]. The reports frame the empty chair as both protest and substitute public forum, with organizers saying Graves “stonewalled” requests and that written testimonies would be presented in his stead [7] [1].
2. Graves’ office response and scheduling context
When asked about the March 24 event, Graves’ office told KQ2 that “Congress was in session on Monday and Congressman Graves was voting in Washington D.C.,” a standard explanation many members give when unavailable for district events during floor activity [2]. Graves’ official communications historically list town halls and schedules — for example, a 2014 press release announces a Town Hall in St. Joseph, and his site carried an “Upcoming Town Hall Schedule” item in 2021; local reporting also documented in-person town halls in 2022 — indicating he has held constituent meetings in the past even as critics assert long gaps in his St. Joseph appearances [3] [5] [4].
3. Differing definitions matter: district-wide vs. St. Joseph-specific
Reporting distinguishes between “in the district” and “in St. Joseph.” Persisterhood’s claim specifies St. Joseph and local organizers cite 2012 as their last in-person meeting with Graves there; other materials show Graves has hosted town halls in other district towns and virtual events in later years [7] [4] [8]. Available sources do not compile a comprehensive, dated list that would allow verification of the absolute “last” town hall across the entire 6th District, so the precise last in-person town hall date for the district as a whole is not documented in the provided reporting [5] [9].
4. Civic norms and political strategy behind town halls
The empty-chair tactic and organizer statements portray a broader frustration: constituents want face-to-face accountability on issues such as Medicaid, Social Security and agriculture policy, and perception of avoidance drives activists to stage substitute forums [2] [1]. Graves’ office pointing to congressional votes is consistent with the legislative calendar explanation often used by members who prioritize committee work or floor votes over district meetings; Graves also serves in committee leadership roles that involve extra Washington duties [2] [10].
5. What reporters and readers should look for next
To settle the question definitively — when and where Sam Graves last held an in-person town hall — one needs either a dated, public list from Graves’ office of post-2012 in-person events in St. Joseph or contemporaneous coverage of any such meeting; neither is included in the provided sources. Reporters can request a chronological inventory from Graves’ press office or examine local newspapers’ archives for town-hall notices and coverage in each 6th District community (available sources do not mention a single definitive last date beyond organizers’ claims) [3] [4] [7].
Limitations and competing claims: local organizers assert no in-person St. Joseph town hall since 2012 and used an empty-chair event to spotlight that; Graves’ office counters with scheduling constraints tied to congressional business and his historical record shows town halls in other years/locations. The sources supplied document both the activist claim and instances of Graves holding town halls elsewhere, but they do not produce a single, authoritative calendar proving the literal “last” town hall across every 6th District locality [1] [2] [3] [4].