Whether they work in City Hall, the State House or the White House, elected officials are beholden to their constituents. In a participatory democracy, I should be able to reach out to my representatives and expect them to be responsive.

Over many years I have reached out to federal, state and local legislators, advocating for action on an array of issues from Medicare for All to immigrant justice. I haven’t always achieved my hoped-for outcomes, but whether educating City Council members about holding Immigration and Customs Enforcement accountable, or engaging in a heated discussion with my state senator about the differences between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, I was always treated with respect.

Well, almost always.

Amid the shock and horror of Trump winning the 2016 presidential election, members of a newly formed Easthampton Indivisible group turned to our congressional representative, Richard Neal. We phoned his office repeatedly, imploring him to schedule a town meeting to respond to our distress. When phone calls fell on deaf ears, we took to the streets, picketing the congressman in front of the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Springfield, where his office is located. Several of us rode the elevator up to his office, urging his aide to plead our case. She asked us to leave.

Ultimately, on short notice, we learned that a town meeting was scheduled. On a frigid Saturday morning of March 11, 2017, we showed up at Elms College in Chicopee for our long-awaited town hall. Neal touted his accomplishments, answered a few questions, and said goodbye. Six months later, at Berkshire Community College, he addressed his constituents in person for the final time.

In June 2017, disgruntled voters in the hilltowns, feeling ignored by Rep. Neal, took out an ad in the Daily Hampshire Gazette that read “MISSING” above a wide-eyed photograph of Congressman Neal, the words underneath asking, “Has anyone seen this man? (Yes, he’s your Congressman.)”

Richard, or Richie as he is often called, has represented western Massachusetts in Congress since 1989 — first as the 2nd District’s representative, then, after redistricting renumbered the seat, as the 1st District’s, a title he’s held since 2013.

Today, he continues to be viewed as AWOL, inaccessible and unapproachable. While other congressional legislators have been showing up at town halls to face distraught voters, Rep. Neal’s last town hall was a faceless telephone meeting in February 2025. He holds no in-district office hours, has no e-mail address and doesn’t send newsletters to keep his constituents informed of his activities.

Earlier this summer, I phoned Neal’s office requesting a meeting with a small group of people in his district, to convince him to make an unannounced visit to the Burlington ICE facility to assess how immigrants there are being treated.

My request led me down a rabbit hole of unreturned voicemails, and two conversations with a woman in his office who explained that his scheduler has been very busy, the staff person who deals with immigration issues is going on maternity leave without a replacement, and no, the congressman doesn’t have an email address. I emphasized we’d be fine meeting with an aide. She promised to reach out to the scheduler again. Two months later and still no response.

On Monday, Aug. 4, a Facebook post detailed an unannounced visit by Neal to the Burlington ICE facility. I was delighted, until I watched the video of the congressman standing in front of the facility, speaking in generalities and saying nothing about what he actually observed. I called his Springfield and D.C. offices, demanding that Neal provide details about his actual visit. Again, I wrote emails to several members of his staff. Again, no response.

“Help fill his campaign coffers and he’ll find time for you,” is the advice some people have given me.

When I question why such an unresponsive legislator keeps getting reelected, the answer is always, “Richie Neal is the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.” For those who may be unaware, the Ways and Means Committee is the main tax-writing body in the House of Representatives, a committee to be courted by corporate America.

It’s unsurprising that since 2010, Neal has been the second largest House recipient of corporate PAC money. Chunks of that money have paid for lavish opportunities for corporate donors to attend extravagant campaign events, generating more cash to fill the congressman’s coffers. Finance, insurance and real estate comprise Neal’s largest corporate donors, and 77.1% of his donations come from outside Massachusetts.

Who gets to meet with Richie Neal? Follow the money. With all his big money and influence, the incumbent ducked two scheduled candidate forums this summer. Recently, he agreed to a quick 30-minute televised debate with his opponent, Jeromie Whalen on Aug. 26, just five days before the Sept. 1 primary.

Whalen refuses to take PAC money, financing his campaign with individual donations. He shows up to knock on doors throughout the 1st Congressional District to meet and greet the people he hopes to represent, sharing with them what he stands for.

Unlike his opponent, Whalen supports Medicare for All. A former teacher, he advocates for universal pre-K, tuition free community college and vocational education. He believes in the right of everyone to earn a living wage, and wants the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes.

Voting on Sept. 1 is important, but it’s not enough. In these treacherous times, when so much is at stake, each of us must actively engage with our elected officials to hold them accountable. To do that requires a responsive representative who appreciates what it means to show up and be in the room. Rep. Richie Neal has shown that he is no longer that person.

Sara Weinberger lives in Easthampton. Guest columns reflect the views of the writer, not the Gazette.