There is no substitute for meeting your elected officials where you live and work. While meetings in Washington, D.C. and your state capital remain important, legislators spend most of their time back home during congressional recesses and almost every weekend, providing the best opportunities for contractors to connect, build relationships, and demonstrate the value of the HVACR contracting industry.
This year, Congress is expected to break for two extended district work periods in both August and October. During these recesses, Representatives and Senators return to their home states to meet with constituents, tour businesses, attend local events, host town halls, and spend time in the communities they represent. And with 2026 being an election year, campaign committees may host fundraisers and meet-and-greet events, providing even more opportunities to choose from. No matter what the event, taking time to show up and introduce yourself as a local business owner and employer is the first step towards building a relationship and laying the foundation for future conversations.
Invite them to visit your shop and meet your team
One of the most effective ways to engage your elected officials during a congressional recess is to invite them to your business. Facility tours allow legislators and their staff to see firsthand how an HVACR contracting company operates. These opportunities will give them face time with your employees, many of whom are also constituents. Perhaps most importantly, though, they can better understand the day-to-day challenges contractors and small businesses in their community face.
Think about how the experience could touch on contractor priorities. A visit to your warehouse is an opportunity to talk about the risk of stranded inventory from refrigerant and energy efficiency regulations. Your fabrication shop could be a chance to talk about the challenges of fuel switching in existing homes. Or your training facility can be a chance to talk about how you’re investing to fill gaps in our workforce system. You can introduce apprentices and experienced technicians alike, demonstrate the equipment and technology your company uses, and explain the investments required to recruit, train, and retain a skilled workforce.
As a follow-up, you might consider inviting your legislators or their staff to participate in a ride-along or field visit. Seeing technicians interact with home and business owners provides valuable perspective on the professionalism, technical expertise, and customer service required to perform the job safely and effectively. These experiences often leave a lasting impression because they connect abstract discussions with real-world examples.
Flexibility and staff relationships are key
While it can be tempting to build around a specific event like a ribbon cutting or apprenticeship graduation, you’ll have far greater success if you can remain flexible. Paint a picture for staff of what an event could look like, but keep your timing open so that your event can fill a gap in their schedule when they’re in your part of the district.
It can also help to start with staff! Give their District Director or District Scheduler a chance to get their hands dirty on a ride-along and experience what an event with their boss could look like. You can also provide an excuse for their DC staff to come to the district and make local connections. Email govt@acca.org if you want help identifying staff you can reach out to.
It’s also important to remain flexible on press invites and social media. Some legislators will relish the opportunity for that photo op turning a wrench alongside your techs or wearing your company swag. One of the great benefits of hosting event is that you can partner with their press secretary to gain exposure for your brand via their strong media relationships and social following. On the other hand, some may prefer to keep events private, particularly in advance of a politically charged election. Asking questions and remaining flexible is key.
Engage at events they host and attend
While working to schedule your own event, be sure to ask staff about constituent events you could attend. Many elected officials host town halls, constituent coffees, business roundtables, economic development meetings, and veterans’ events. They also attend public events like county fairs, parades, chamber of commerce meetings, and candidate forums where you can simply show up and meet them.
Some specific tips:
- Sign up for legislators’ newsletters and follow them on the social platforms where they’re most active to learn about upcoming events.
- Reach out to their campaign and ask to be added to the list for campaign news and events.
- Get involved in local politics. Volunteering or serving on local boards or committees is a great way to get in the loop for upcoming opportunities.
- One of my favorite tips is to go to facebook.com/events and click “Interested” next to anything remotely political. The algorithm will feed you more opportunities!
The more you cultivate relationships with their staff and political allies during the congressional recess, the more likely you are to get invited to intimate gatherings where real relationships are forged.
Don’t sweat the policy details – just tell your story!
When engaging with elected officials, your story is more powerful than statistics alone. Explain how many people your company employs, how long you have served the community, the challenges you face finding qualified technicians, and the investments you make in training and safety. Personal examples help lawmakers better understand how legislative and regulatory decisions impact small businesses in their districts.
Finally, these meetings provide an opportunity to highlight the essential role HVACR professionals play in the American economy and way of life. Contractors keep homes comfortable and safe during extreme weather, maintain indoor air quality, support hospitals and schools, preserve critical infrastructure, and help businesses operate safely and efficiently. At the same time, HVACR contractors are developing the skilled workforce of the future, offering well-paying careers in a profession that demands technical expertise, critical thinking, and hands-on work that AI cannot readily replicate.
You do not need to be a policy expert to have a meaningful conversation or develop a relationship with your elected officials. The most valuable perspective you can offer is your own experience as a contractor, employer, and small business owner. Elected officials want to hear directly from the people who create jobs and serve their communities, and there is no better time to have those conversations than when they are back home.
ACCA can help – and we want your photos!
If you are interested in inviting your elected officials tour your business or would like assistance identifying upcoming events, please contact ACCA’s Government Relations team at govt@acca.org. We are happy to share staff contacts, help coordinate outreach, prepare briefing materials, and help you make the most of every opportunity to engage with your elected officials.
We’re also eager to hear what you have planned and celebrate your success! Please send us your photos and social posts so that your engagement can help inspire others. We’re also eager to hear about your conversations so that we can close the loop with DC staff and follow up on the commitments they make.
Thank you for your engagement and good luck!
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