Congressmember Dan Donovan – who will face off against former seat-holder Michael Grimm next year in what is sure to be a heated primary election – will meet with Brooklyn constituents two weekends this November at an event called “Coffee with Your Congressman.”
The events come on the heels of heavy backlash from some of the pol’s southern Brooklyn constituents with respect to Donovan’s resistance to holding an in-person town hall on this side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. That resistance has resulted in a number of protests, sit-ins and even the first-ever constituent-hosted town hall held in April, an invitation to which Donovan declined. He has opted for social media-streamed and tele-town halls instead, citing a more peaceful and structured nature.
Nonetheless, the elected’s office contends, the coffee tour is a “continuat[ion of] his public engagement and commitment to accessibility.”
“There is nothing more important to me than hearing directly from the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn about issues impacting individuals, families and businesses in our community,” Donovan said in a statement, citing “a lot of work to do in Washington.”
“This coffee tour is a great opportunity for me to answer your questions, listen to your ideas, and hear directly about issues that matter to you,” he added.
The first Brooklyn edition of “Coffee with Your Congressman” will take place on Sunday, November 12 at a to-be-determined location in the “greater Gravesend area” from 1 to 3 p.m. The second will follow suit on Saturday, November 18 at the Dyker Heights Library, 8202 13th Avenue, from 2 to 4 p.m.
There will be three other iterations of “Coffee with Your Congressman” – all on Staten Island.
The 11th district includes all of Staten Island and a swathe of southern Brooklyn, including Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Gravesend.
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