(Post/Missourinet) – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has been holding public town halls across the state over the past few months to hear from Missourians. 

McCaskill held a town hall in St. Joseph in April and has recently traveled to other parts of the state to talk with constituents. 

At McCaskill’s town hall in Ashland, 265 people showed up, where topics ranged from prescription drug monitoring to health care.

McCaskill has a reputation for not shying away from unfriendly groups of constituents. She is seeking another term next year in what is expected to be a hotly contested race.

All of McCaskill’s Missouri congressional colleagues in the House of Representatives, including six Republicans, are also up for reelection. 

McCaskill said at the town halls she’s hosted recently, she’s hearing many people talk about healthcare and public education. 

“(There’s) some real confusion about why the Republicans are going down the path of trying to do healthcare with just Republican votes. I really sense that what a lot of Missourians want is for us to come together and try to repair what we have in a way that will not gut the Medicaid program,” McCaskill said. “So, a lot of talk about that and I’m hopeful that we will get to that. That the Republican effort to do this bill behind closed doors will fail and then we can come together in a bipartisan way for the first time.. I think to get the acceptance of folks it’s really important that we try to work together on this and quit playing politics with it. That’s the message that I got loud and clear.” 

McCaskill is hosting ten public town halls this week in Audrain County, Boone County, Macon County, Miller County, Moniteau County, Monroe County, Morgan County, and Randolph County.