South Carolina GOP Rep. Tom Rice loses primary after his vote to impeach Trump

Washington Examiner ^ | 14 Jun, 2022 | Naomi Lim

[MtnClimber]

Republican Rep. Tom Rice lost his solidly conservative South Carolina House seat Tuesday after nearly a decade in Congress, which included his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 riots.

SOUTH CAROLINA PROVIDES NEXT TEST OF TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT POWER

Although Rice repeated his support for many Trump policies as he campaigned across South Carolina's 7th Congressional District, from Myrtle Beach to the Pee Dee region, he defended his decision to impeach Trump as "the principled stance."

"My opinion is that our Constitution is too precious to risk," he said during the district's five-way Republican debate.

Trump responded by endorsing South Carolina state Rep. Russell Fry. Fry blasted Rice, not only for his impeachment vote, but he also made allegations of self-enrichment and slammed the incumbent for his Democratic outreach. In reaction, Rice, a former tax lawyer, focused his hefty war chest on Fry, ripping him as "a tax-and-spender."

Fry on Tuesday secured more than 50% of the primary vote, avoiding a runoff with Rice on June 28.

Rice's race has received national attention, in part because of Trump's rally in the district. But Rice himself invited out-of-state Republicans to stump with him, such as former House Speaker Paul Ryan and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, amplifying his Trump record.

[bert]

Amen to that!

[farmguy]

What that says is: Inviting those guys in solidifies his record as being a ‘Trump hater’.

I guess he thought that would be a good thing.

[Robert DeLong]

I guess I learned that the voters no longer are interested in go-along to get-along people representing them. Instead they are interested in leaders who will fight the fight for America as it was founded, and their desire to return to that form of a Representative Republic, replete with Law & Order, as it was founded upon. It must also return the Lord to the public square, for he is our savior who keeps the majority on the correct path.

One that is willing to fight against the rampant corruption that abounds within all governments, Federal, State & Local, within this nation. Arise & conquer in a bloodless manner. However, if the opposition does not want it to be done as in a bloodless fashion, we will accommodate them with a bloody one if they choose that instead.

My bad. I guess I also learned that I really am just an A-HOLE, who actually only aided & abetted the enemies of this nation.

[JoJo354]

That’s how Trump haters and Democrats roll. Republicans, MAGA ones need to take the fight to the Dems and RINOs and use the liberals playbook. .

[Leep]

SC seems to have a very thin conservative shell but is all RINO underneath?

[Preachin']

Rice took a public spanking.

The top three vote getters:

RUSSELL FRY - 43,374 51.07%
TOM RICE - 20,846 24.54%
BARBARA ARTHUR - 10,453 12.31%

It seems evident to me that the extra candidates were these simply to help the good old boy network keep Fry under the 50% level.

[FLT-bird]

You’re out. Suck it RINOS. Suck it Paul Ryan.

Oh and brace yourselves. We’re coming for a lot more RINOs the rest of this election cycle.

[Delta 21]

[dfwgator]

"We're on a RINO hunt! And don't think we don't know how to weed 'em out!"

[rhinohunter]

“But Rice himself invited out-of-state Republicans to stump with him, such as former House Speaker Paul Ryan and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, amplifying his Trump record.”

Can’t believe that didn’t help...

Me neither… Maybe if he could have got Obama to show…

[mware]

Good, broke Ronald Reagan’s rule #1.

[unlearner]

Sweet revenge.

[Albion Wilde]