As a volunteer at the first district Congressional forum occurring on August 11, I cordially invite Congressman Richard Neal to attend the forum. This letter was sent to Neal and his campaign on July 15th via email and snail mail, and no response has been received to date. I publish this letter openly in hopes of a response—and potentially, a change of heart from Congressman Neal.

Congressman Neal,

I am writing to personally invite you to the Democracy Starts Here: First District Congressional Forum on August 11th, 5:00-8:00pm at 52 Sumner in Springfield. Despite everything that’s happened over the past week, I am writing because I still believe your participation would make this forum stronger.

I know campaigns require difficult strategic decisions, but I hope you’ll reconsider this one.

The first thing you should know about me—as I don’t think it’s obvious to you—is that I’ve voted for you in every election in which your name has appeared on my ballot. Every time. So if we’re talking about who I’ve supported, I’ve supported you all along.

The next thing you should know about me is that I am very disheartened by the misunderstandings about our forum. The forum is being organized by a coalition of 40 nonprofit, civic, neighborhood, faith-based, and advocacy organizations, many of which you are close with. Please do not equate the personal political views of individual volunteers with the position of the organizing committee or the 40 organizations sponsoring this event.

Since my own political views have become part of this conversation, I’d like to address them directly. I do support another candidate in this race, and I intend to vote for that candidate. Before this election, however, I voted for you every time your name appeared on my ballot. But the more important point is this: my vote is mine alone. It is separate from my role as a volunteer helping organize a strictly nonpartisan forum. Every election begins with an empty box beside every candidate’s name. Campaigns, debates, and forums exist to earn the mark that eventually fills it. By declining this invitation, you’re passing up a meaningful opportunity to make your case directly to the people you hope will check yours. As a committee, our commitment has always been to ensure that every candidate—including you—is welcomed, treated equally, and given the same opportunity to speak directly with voters.

The final thing you should know about me is that I, personally, along with every other volunteer at the forum, really hope you will decide to RSVP “yes.” We would love to count you in, if you are willing to respond and get engaged. Regardless of who any individual volunteer is supporting, this is a strictly nonpartisan event. We expect this to be one of the largest congressional forums in the district this cycle, with significant community attendance and media coverage.

We are your constituents. We are all counting on you to come and share your vision for our district. Voters deserve the opportunity to hear your plans. People are hurting, and we need leadership. You’ve raised your hand to run for another term—please choose to come tell us what that would look like.

Finally, I am not mad about whatever misconceptions about our forum have played out in your media interviews. I hope this letter helps clear up any misunderstandings about the forum and our intentions.

More than anything, I hope you’ll put your representation into action and join your constituents on August 11 to share your vision for our district. Your invitation remains open, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to welcome you personally.

Sincerely,
Erica Swallow