State Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr. 'disappointed' by lack of turnout to town hall forum

District 33 state Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr. (D-Corpus Christi) easily won re-election two weeks ago and, in the aftermath, pledged for more direct involvement with constituents.

To that end, he delivered on one promise this week, holding a series of town hall meetings in Corpus Christi to interact directly with voters and listen to their concerns. According to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Ortiz discussed educational and environmental issues at length, more specifically regarding school vouchers and coal power plants.

The only problem? Turnout. According to the newspaper, only about 15 people showed up for Monday's forum, and Ortiz said he was disappointed by the lack of interest.

“It is disappointing to only see this many people here — we sent out a ton of invitations,” Ortiz said. “I pride myself on being one of the most available representatives — I work for the voters and I’m here for them. I may not see eye to eye with them about everything but they may be able to change my mind about something or maybe I can change theirs.”

Ortiz will host another town hall forum tonight in Corpus Christi, although it's unclear if the attendance will be improved.