The Voters at This Swing District Town Hall Asked About Everything but Impeachment

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Washington, D.C., officially has impeachment fever. But it’s not exactly the first thing on people’s minds here.

That’s why first-term Democratic Rep. Susan Wild took her time coming around to supporting an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

Her district is pretty much the swingiest swing district you can imagine, split roughly evenly between Republican and Democratic voters in a state that Trump won in 2016 but President Barack Obama carried for both of his elections. So she has to play to both sides.

“I did not come out for an impeachment inquiry based on the Mueller report or the Russian investigation,” Wild said. “I didn't think we were there. What really changed my thinking on it was the Ukraine phone call.”

It’s early, but how voters here respond to the issue could be an indicator of which party stands to gain politically from what will be a volatile and divisive issue. Voters at a town hall here seemed to appreciate Wild’s judiciousness in coming to the decision. Even still, people here made clear they still want her to focus on kitchen table issues, like climate change and education.

That’s not going to be easy, especially as the impeachment investigation kicks into gear. It could cause difficulties if Republican TV ads already hammering Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat in a neighboring district, for supporting the inquiry migrate down to Allentown, too.

So how will she combat the election tactic of turning her into a wild-eyed impeachment crazed liberal? Wild made clear to her constituents that yes, she came around to supporting the inquiry rather reluctantly and only because of Trump’s actions, but no, it’s not the thing that’s taking up most of her time in Congress.

“I believe that, you know, if we explain things well enough to the American people they will understand,” she said. “But more importantly as far as political calculations go I believe that I will be re-elected because of the work I've done for the people in this district not because I went one way or the other on an impeachment inquiry.”