MILLBROOK, OH — Rep. Dale Furman, 61, who has not held a public event in Ohio's 9th Congressional District since the fall of 2022, announced Monday a four-stop town hall tour spanning every county in the district, to be completed before the March 17 primary filing deadline.

The events, branded “Dale Listens,” will feature the congressman hearing constituent concerns, eating local food in front of cameras, and remembering the names of at least three residents by the final stop, according to a schedule released by his Washington office.

“I’ve always said the people of this district are the reason I serve,” Furman told reporters Tuesday, standing in front of a diner he had clearly just learned existed. “And I look forward to hearing from them for the first time in a while.”

“He shook my hand, asked what issues mattered to me, wrote it down on a notepad, and then got back in a black Suburban. Which is more than I’ve gotten from my actual doctor.”

Millbrook resident Patricia Goode, 58, said the visit left her with mixed feelings. She confirmed the congressman seemed “genuinely interested” for approximately eleven minutes before an aide whispered something in his ear and interest visibly concluded.

Political observers note the tour is unrelated to the congressman’s previously stated belief that “governing happens in Washington, not at potlucks.” His office did not respond to questions about whether that quote still reflects his view.

At press time, Furman’s campaign had posted seventeen photos of him holding a baby, none of which included the baby’s parents’ consent form.