Claudia Tenney not expected to appear at Cortland town hall meeting

Claudia Tenney speaking to TWC news reporter Cara Thomas at her campaign headquarters in New Hartford, Nov. 8, 2016 (Photo: TWCNews)

CORTLAND, N.Y. — The newly elected representative for New York's 22nd congressional district will likely not be attending a town hall meeting in Cortland scheduled for this weekend.

Indivisible Cortland County (ICC) invited Claudia Tenney to a public town hall meeting that will be held Sat., Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. at United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church St., Cortland. Her office has indicated to organizers that she will not make an appearance, according to Margaret Little, one of ICC’s spokespersons.

The ‘Where’s Tenney?’ town hall will feature remarks from Joshua Riley, a former adviser to U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, as well as information about the rising ‘Indivisible’ movement across the country, organizers said in a press release. The Cortland group is modeled off of the national Indivisible movement and describes itself as a "nonpartisan, grassroots civic group formed by Cortland County residents in the aftermath of the 2016 elections."

While Tenney likely won't come to Cortland this weekend, she recently agreed to start holding in-person town hall meetings throughout her district, marking a change in policy that initially would have had Tenney conducting town hall meetings solely by telephone.

Her shift in policy comes after pressure from protesters, who have been calling for in-person meetings with the congresswoman.

Tenney’s office said she will hold town hall meetings in the Utica and Binghamton area, with more planned in the coming weeks and months.

“It makes us feel like our efforts have paid off," Little said.