A Maryland congressman warned a packed Patchogue theater that "democracy is under attack" during a town hall Saturday.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who spent 25 years as a professor of constitutional law at American University’s Washington College of Law, spoke at the Patchogue Theatre in an event organized by a coalition of Democratic committees and progressive activists groups.

"We're in a constitutional crisis and we're going to get America through it," Raskin said to the partisan crowd, which erupted into chants of "U-S-A!" before the four-term congressman took the stage.

Raskin addressed the approximately 1,100 people at the free event for just over 30 minutes before fielding questions from 13 audience members for an additional 45 minutes. He spoke on topics like Social Security, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Democratic messaging, home affordability, Trump's relationship with Russia and future impeachment proceedings.

The town hall served as a rebuke to Suffolk County's town congressional representatives, Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), for what organizers have said is an unwillingness to hold in-person town halls.

In a statement to Newsday, LaLota described Raskin as an "out-of-touch, non-Long Islander" who "supports a government-run health care system, the Green New Deal, punishing tax hikes on workers and job creators and citizenship for those who break our immigration laws."

He also criticized "far-left groups" for choosing "one of the most hyper-partisans in Congress as the next voice of their opposition."

Garbarino in a statement Saturday said: "I have some thoughts about the member from Maryland, but my mother says if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Raskin didn't mention the Suffolk representatives by name but acknowledged early in his speech that he was not the organizers' "first choice."

"It would have been better to have your own representative here," he said.

Kathryn Casey Quigley, who chairs the Southold Town Democratic Committee and helped organize the town hall, said seeing the large turnout and "overwhelming response" sends a "clear message that Suffolk County is ready for a change."

Suffolk has been a Republican stronghold in recent years, particularly during the Trump era, and LaLota and Garbarino both won in 2024 with 55% and 58% of their district's votes, respectively.

Raskin served as lead House manager during the second Trump impeachment trial. One question from an audience member focused on whether Raskin would support future impeachment proceedings. The Democrats, he noted, do not hold a majority in the House of Representatives but said the caucus is not afraid of impeachment.

He said given the "assaults on due process and the rights of the people, I can't imagine that there won't be an impeachment in our future."

Raskin referenced the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions signed into law in 2017 by Trump in his first term that all four Long Island congressional representatives have vowed to repeal. He said Democrats have been urging Republicans in Democratic states that are negatively impacted to "not vote for anything unless they restore completely the SALT deduction."

In a lead-up to the town hall, some demonstrators began marching at 11:30 a.m. from Academy Street to South Ocean Avenue and onto Oak Street where a few hundred people protested outside Garbarino's local office.

Police blocked the road to traffic as demonstrators took turns leading chants and speaking the group. Many held signs, with messages like, "dissent is patriotic" and "no kings."

There were no conflicts with counterprotesters as happened briefly last month outside Garbarino's office. Suffolk police confirmed there were no reported incidents.

Sue Simes, 65, of Bay Shore, arrived for the town hall at 10:45 a.m., she said. Another woman had been at the theater since 9:30 a.m. Simes said the deluge of daily news from the Trump administration is "too much."

"Unfortunately it's every morning you get up and it doesn't seem to ever be good news."

Lisa Bedford, 62, of Nesconset said she was hoping to hear "what the future looks like in terms of getting more people engaged."

Both women said they would hope to attend a similar in-person town hall hosted by their own representative.