Rep. Mike Thompson makes stop in Santa Rosa during district tour

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson brought together Sonoma County elected officials, municipal leaders, public safety officials and those from various community and business groups for a meet and greet Thursday as part of a districtwide tour his office launched this week.

About 60 people attended the event at Sonoma Clean Power in downtown Santa Rosa.

The meeting provided Thompson, D-St. Helena, and staff from his Washington D.C. and district offices with an opportunity to meet with regional leaders and hear about local needs.

“I always thought it was easier to do work when there is a face to a name,” Thompson said.

Thompson and 19 of his staff kicked off the tour Monday to see new areas absorbed into his 4th Congressional District after redistricting and to get an on-the-ground look at various projects his office has helped fund.

The trip also provided Thompson’s staffers with an opportunity to meet in person with people they regularly communicate with virtually or by phone, Thompson’s Communications Director Jack Stelzner said.

The team also visited Clearlake and made stops in Yolo County and northern Solano County, both new to the district.

On Thursday, they took a driving tour through Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove.

Thompson was then honored by the Sonoma County Winegrowers for his work to support the industry during the organization’s Dollars and Sense event at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.

The team planned to cap the trip with a community meeting in Napa County Thursday afternoon.

You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @paulinapineda22.