U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott will be on Vashon Saturday to meet with constituents and answer questions — the seventh such small-scale gathering he's held in his Seattle-area district since last March.

The "coffee with your Congressman," as McDermott's office is billing it, will take place at 10 a.m. at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie.

McDermott, a Democrat who's been in Congress for 12 terms, decided to hold small gatherings in coffee shops rather than the more traditional town hall meetings  usually held in a gymnasium or community center because they provide a better venue for a give-and-take, his spokesman Kinsey Kiriakos said.

Large, town hall-style gatherings can be intimidating for some, since asking a question often requires stepping up to a microphone, Kiriakos said. The coffees, which he's held in several Seattle neighborhoods, provide a more relaxed atmosphere, he said.

"He stays as long as people want to ask questions," Kiriakos added.

McDermott, who usually wins by huge, 80 percent-plus margins, will face a slightly different situation this fall, should he run for a 13th term. Due to the redistricting that just took place, his 7th District no longer includes all of Seattle — a southern swath went to U.S. Rep. Adam Smith's 9th District — and now sweeps north, taking in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Woodway and Edmonds.

"We retained about 75 percent of our old district," Kiriakos said.

 

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