GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Rep. Justin Amash (I) was in Grand Rapids Wednesday morning to talk with constituents at five local coffee shops. This is the first time he will be making public stops in the area since he announced that he left the Republican party.
Supporters of Amash were at Rising Grinds Cafe Wednesday where the representative talked about splitting from the Republican party and how voters are influenced by their party leaders.
"Primarily, I think people are influenced by their party leaders, including the President of the United States, but also the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader," Amash said.
Amash planned meetings at the following locations:
GRAND RAPIDS
9:30 a.m. - Rising Grinds Cafe, 1167 Madison Ave. SE
10:45 a.m. - Common Ground, 1319 Fulton St. E
12 p.m. - New Holland Brewing - The Knickerbocker, 417 Bridge St. NW
CALEDONIA
2:15 p.m. - Railtown Brewing Company, 3595 68th St.
HASTINGS
4 p.m. - Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro, 105 E. State St.
Amash has represented the 3rd District since 2011, when he was elected in with a wave of Tea Party candidates. His last public event in West Michigan was at the end of May after he became the first then-Republican to say the Mueller report laid out evidence that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses.
Since then, a collection of challengers have lined up to compete for the congressional seat. There are five Republicans and three Democrats vying to win the election.
One Republican candidate has already out raised Amash, and two Democrats on are pace to do the same.
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