Missouri Republican Representative Mark Alford found himself at the center of a heated confrontation this week, as a town hall in his district erupted into frustration and anger from constituents who feel increasingly disconnected from their elected officials. The incident, which unfolded on Monday, August 25, 2025, is the latest in a string of contentious exchanges between Republican lawmakers and their voters, reflecting a growing sense of unease and division within the party’s base as the 2026 election season approaches.
The tension was palpable as Fred Higginbotham, a longtime resident of Polk County, stood up to address Alford. Higginbotham, whose family farm is at risk due to what he described as state and federal disdain for farmers and favoritism toward the wealthy, did not mince words. "I am pissed, and I’m pissed at you, because I have emailed you because it’s easier for me than to try to talk on the phone without profanity," Higginbotham declared, his voice echoing the frustration of many rural Missourians. He continued, "I would appreciate you taking your father’s U.S. Constitution book, read it, study it, make your own lines underneath it, and get Trump out of office. The man is a dictator." According to video posted online and cited by multiple outlets, Higginbotham concluded with a blunt admonition: "You need to take your head out of Trump’s ass and start doing your representation of us!"
Higginbotham’s grievances did not stop at the national level. He challenged Alford on bread-and-butter issues, questioning whether the congressman understood the daily struggles of working-class citizens. "You wanna straighten out the budget? Start taxing corporations and the wealthy like we’ve been telling you. Do you think we’re idiots? Do you think we don’t pay taxes? Do you think that we don’t have to make budgets? … You know nothing about what a working-class citizen does. Come down here … and start trying to pay your medical insurance," he exclaimed, according to reporting by multiple sources. Higginbotham’s words seemed to capture a broader sense of alienation among rural voters who feel left behind by both state and federal policies.
Alford, for his part, attempted to defuse the situation by thanking Higginbotham for his military service and acknowledging the struggles of small business owners. "I really want to have an open line of communication. You know, sometimes I’m even in my office, and my staff doesn’t really like this, but I answer the phone," Alford responded. "When I’m in the district and when I’m in D.C. If I have free time, I’m not in a committee meeting or on the House floor, I like to answer the phone because I like to hear from people like you." Yet, for many in the audience, Alford’s assurances rang hollow amid mounting concerns about representation and accountability.
This is not the first time Alford has faced a skeptical and vocal crowd. Back in February 2025, he was booed at another town hall for defending billionaire Elon Musk’s influence over government personnel, specifically in his capacity as head of DOGE, despite Musk holding no elected office. According to reporting at the time, Alford’s attempts to justify Musk’s outsized role in government matters were met with derision from constituents who questioned both the appropriateness and the wisdom of such deference to unelected power.
Alford is hardly alone among Republicans facing pushback from their own voters. Just last week, Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman was booed for refusing to acknowledge that Trump’s tariff war would hurt consumers and for stating that inflation hadn’t increased, despite evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, New York Representative Elise Stefanik, a prominent MAGA figure, was called a “Nazi” and a sellout at her last town hall over her support for Trump and her refusal to release the Epstein files. In Nebraska, chants of “vote him out!” rained down on Mike Flood earlier in August, underscoring the restive mood among Republican voters nationwide.
While these confrontations play out at the local level, new polling out of Ohio suggests that the Republican Party still enjoys a structural advantage in key battlegrounds. According to an Emerson College poll conducted on August 18-19, 2025, of 1,000 active registered Ohio voters, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy leads Democratic opponent Dr. Amy Acton by 10 points in a hypothetical 2026 matchup, with 12% of voters undecided. If former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan were to enter the race, Ramaswamy’s lead would shrink to about eight points, but Republicans would still retain the upper hand.
The Senate race in Ohio is shaping up to be another closely watched contest. Sherrod Brown, a three-term Democratic U.S. Senator who lost his seat last year to Republican Bernie Moreno, is now running as a challenger against incumbent Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to the seat after J.D. Vance became Vice President. The Emerson poll shows Husted leading Brown by six points, with Husted enjoying a 16-point lead among male voters, voters without a college degree, and those over 40. Brown, however, holds a 13-point lead among voters under 40, a three-point edge among women, and an eight-point advantage among independents. Brown must first win the Democratic primary, where he faces declared candidates Lynnea Lau, Chris Volpe, and Ronald Kincaid, as well as newcomer Fred Ode, who has yet to file with the FEC.
Despite the vocal opposition seen at some town halls, the anticipated "Trump backlash" that some Democrats hope for has not yet materialized in Ohio. Nearly half of Ohio voters (49%) approve of President Trump’s job performance, while 42% disapprove. On key policy issues, Trump’s agenda appears to resonate: 57% of respondents support mass deportations in Ohio. Voters are more divided on whether to send Ohio National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., with 44% in favor, 42% opposed, and 14% undecided.
Redistricting is also looming large in Ohio politics. The state is constitutionally mandated to redraw its congressional map, as the current boundaries were approved along partisan lines. The Emerson poll found that a plurality of respondents recognize the existing map is drawn to benefit Republican politicians, though about a third remain unsure. This issue has national resonance, as Trump’s efforts to gerrymander Texas in favor of Republicans have prompted Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom to push for redrawing his own state’s congressional lines in response. Newsom, who has positioned himself as a leading Democratic voice against Trump, currently leads a crowded field of 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls, at least among Democratic voters, according to the poll.
Amidst all this, the mood in Republican strongholds like Missouri and Ohio remains volatile. While some voters express deep dissatisfaction with their representatives and the direction of the party, polling data suggests that Republicans retain significant advantages heading into the 2026 elections. Whether the anger voiced in town halls will translate into real shifts at the ballot box—or simply intensify the existing polarization—remains to be seen as the nation barrels toward another pivotal election year.
