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A great portion of a Monday evening candidate forum for Texas’ US House District 1 seat centered on someone who was not present.

The forum, held at the Tyler Public Library by the League of Women Voters of Tyler/Smith County, featured three candidates — one Republican and two Democrats — who each made their cases as to why they’re running to unseat incumbent Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler.

The congressman’s office said he had a prior commitment and couldn’t make it to the forum. Another candidate, Republican Anthony Culler, also did not attend the forum.

Candidates were both eager to introduce themselves to the crowd and to let attendees know the ways they felt they differ from the current congressman.

“In a representative democracy, when you win an election you belong to everybody,” said Brent Beal, D-Nacogdoches, a business professor. “It’s just not working out that way these days … I think we see that with our current representative — who refuses to talk to the public, who refuses to hold town halls.”

Candidate Roshin Rowjee, R-Lufkin, who has worked in medicine, agreed and said he, too, was running because he felt the whole district — which encompasses 12 counties — was not being represented.

Some of the strongest critiques came from candidate Shirley J. McKellar, D-Tyler, and a retired U.S. Army veteran and nurse, who called Gohmert a novice and questioned his productivity.

“He’s not authored one bill since he’s been there,” she said.

Throughout the hour-long event, candidates were questioned about a number of different policy issues and topics — and voiced opinions on topics such as how the nation’s infrastructure is being funded.

“Our income is less than our expenses on a monthly basis, so knowing this, our government, in its infinite wisdom, decided to give us all a big rebate in terms of our taxes which will drive that deficit higher,” Beal said. “If you know you have capital expenditures coming up then you don’t dig yourself into a hole … tax cuts are not free. We’re going to pay for what we want to buy as a country.”

The new tax law was also discussed.

“I was not in support of that bill,” McKellar said. “I believe that that tax bill is going to affect middle-class America. I pay a very high tax rate. I don’t think our taxes are balanced with middle-class America and the very wealthy. If we can get a balance then we could get more money in our budgets.”

Rowjee was in favor of the law and said he felt it could bring back jobs that have left the United States.

Near the end of the event, candidates were allowed to answer questions they wished they’d been asked.

Rowjee chose to speak on the issue of Gerrymandering.

“The rural communities have been literally decimated by a lot of the Gerrymandering that happened in 2003,” he said. “Whether its education, whether its healthcare, whether its jobs. We really do need a congressman who is going to represent all the rural communities throughout this district.”

He added that he would try to take more measures to lower Smith County’s infant mortality rate.

McKellar expressed her wish for more affordable healthcare in America.

Beal reiterated that he would constantly push himself to listen to all citizens and would look for ways to find common ground with constituents who may see things a little differently than he does.

In a statement released to the League of Women voters, Gohmert expressed some of the strengths he thinks he would bring if elected once again.

“The strengths I bring to this position include understanding of what laws should say through many years of judicial experience, devotion to East Texans and passion to make this country better for our children and grandchildren,” the statement read. “As Congressman, I’ve stood up for my district and constituents and have the scars from Republicans and Democrats to prove it.”

Candidates will square off in Republican and Democratic primary elections on Tuesday, March 6. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the votes in the three-way Republican primary race, the two candidates with the most votes will face each other in the May 22 primary runoff election.

The General Election will take place Nov. 6. Monday’s event also featured a forum for State Representative District 6 that was attended by candidate Ted Kamel.

President of the League of Women Voters of Tyler/Smith County Marilyn Wills said she hoped events like these would inspire voters to get out and show up to the polls.

“For presidential races, people go out to vote more readily,” she said. “For local races, we have trouble getting people to go out and vote … It’s so hugely important and voting is really directly (related) to what’s going on in their personal lives.”