Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD)

Representative Anthony Brown (D-MD)

Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD)

Priding itself as the "most accessible House office in South Dakota," Rep. Dusty Johnson's (R-SD) office responds to every inquiry from constituents, typically holds two telephone town halls per month and more than a dozen in person per year, and takes polls during town halls on issues and after tough votes, ensuring the results are published to constituents.

During the pandemic, the office developed "Drive-Thru Dusty Town Halls" as a safe alternative to meet with constituents during COVID-19. After advertising in local newspapers that Rep. Johnson was going to be hosting a socially distanced town hall, constituents would "drive-thru" and talk to him in a parking lot for as long as they needed. The office was able to reach dozens of constituents in a safe manner during the pandemic.

When Members of Congress were offered early access to the COVID-19 vaccine, Rep. Johnson felt uncertain if it was the right thing to essentially cut the line. The office issued a statewide poll to South Dakota asking the people if he should take it early to instill public confidence or wait his turn. More than 9,000 people voted and 56% said he should wait his turn. The office released that poll to the public and the media, and Rep. Johnson waited to receive the vaccine.

In his at-large district, one of the largest geographically in Congress, Rep. Johnson does "community leader meetings" state-wide with individuals identified by the office as leaders in local government, small business, tribal leaders, etc. and the Member meets with them over lunch/coffee.

The office's motto is the voters are the bosses, and it's important that the Member is speaking to his bosses weekly, daily, monthly – that's how the office operates – "we're here to serve South Dakota, not the other way around."

Representative Anthony Brown (D-MD)

Since Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) took office in 2017, his office has hosted close to 100 town hall meetings, and averages two a month, all around the district. Pre-pandemic, the Congressman would make it a practice to stay and talk to constituents until the last person leaves, even if the town hall ended up being 2-3 hours long as a result.

Rep. Brown's office has a "no wrong door" policy in their office, meaning that constituents can reach out to them about issues they may not directly be able to assist with, but will work to identify and connect them to an appropriate resource. This allows them to build and maintain relationships with other core constituency groups so they can work in true partnership to serve residents in their district.

The office has a "flat" structure, which allows the staff unprecedented access to the Member, and in turn, the Member and his team make themselves readily available to constituents as well. In addition to staying after town halls, Congressman Brown monitors social media and directly engages with constituents, guiding them to staff for assistance. Additionally, constituents with casework are given the opportunity to talk with their caseworkers directly to check in on the status of their cases.

During the pandemic, the office hosted "Ask the Experts" webinars to answer constituent questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as virtual events with the Small Business Association educating local businesses on federal resources available to assist them. In addition, the office created a COVID resource guide that was posted to their website and emailed to constituents, and a staff member was always available to answer the phones live. They continued to host town halls, and Congressman Brown has regular meetings with state and local elected leaders. He did this so he can assist and advocate for federal resources, as well as have regular meetings and dialogue with constituent groups, such as business leaders, faith leaders, seniors, and educators, to highlight a few.