BLUE ASH, Ohio — Harrison teacher Christy Pember brought her demands for Ohio's Republican senators to host a series of statewide town halls to the public for the first time by organizing a protest at the Blue Ash Tesla dealership Friday.
Tesla protests have been used for weeks to show displeasure with company owner Elon Musk and the Trump administration as they work to overhaul the federal government.
Pember has been working on mobilizing a political movement for two weeks, and said the public call for greater access to U.S. senators was promising.
"I see democracy in action," she said as a few dozen protesters waved signs and chanted around her.
WATCH: Protesters call for Ohio town halls
Pember said her call was for both senators to host six town halls by July 4. Three of the town halls would be in Ohio's urban centers: Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. The remaining three would be in regions of the senator's choosing.
"They derive power from us, and we just want to have a word," she said. "We just want to have a conversation."
Pember's movement attracted protesters like Coy Southerland and his wife Robin, who have been concerned about the federal benefit programs their family members rely on.
"We need to get our own senators to start listening to us, which they're not," Robin said. "I send messages all the time to Husted and Moreno."
The protest came just hours after a trio of stops by Senator Jon Husted at Cincinnati's Honda/LG Solutions, Hollaender Manufacturing and the nonprofit Easterseals Redwood, where he spoke with workers and business owners about how national developments like sweeping tariffs on foreign imports could impact people in Ohio.
"Visits like these today are helpful because you can see the reality of what it means in places like Cincinnati," Husted said.
The senator's team tells WPCO he has had 94 visits with Ohioans since his appointment in January, with many coming in the form of his Husted Huddles. Over the same period, Husted's representatives said his team has had more than 178 additional meetings with Ohioans and employers.
Moreno's spokesperson issued a statement in response to WCPO's questions about Pember's town hall proposal.
"Assisting Ohioans is Senator Moreno’s top priority," the statement reads. "He meets with Ohioans every single day both in Ohio and Washington and has been transparent about his commitment to passing President Trump’s agenda."
Pember said she would continue to call for larger-forum meetings with the Senators so they could hear from more Ohio voters.
"I think I'm in this for the long haul," she said.
