Russell Fry has won District 7 in South Carolina. How many votes did the incumbent get?
Incumbent U.S. Congressman Russell Fry has won another term representing northeast South Carolina in the nation's capital, uncertified results show.
According to numbers from Tuesday night at 8:57 p.m., Fry has won 72.35% compared to his Democrat challenger Mal Hyman, who got 27.55%.
The Associated Press called the race in favor of Fry at 8:52 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Hyman currently lives in Hartsville, SC, which is located about two hours west of the Grand Strand in the Pee Dee region. On his campaign site, he said he's worked as a teacher for 50 years, most recently at Coker University, a private four year non-profit college located in Hartsville.
The congressman will again represent the Grand Strand and Pee Dee Region as the representative for South Carolina's Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This victory will mark Fry's second term in office.
"It's an honor to serve the Grand Stand and the Pee Dee in Washington, DC," a post on Fry's Facebook page said prior to Election Day. "Over the last two years, I helped pass the strongest border security legislation in our nation's history, voted to stop fentanyl trafficking, expanded veterans' benefits, and fought hard for more conservative wins."
Following Hurricane Helene, Fry was one of the members of Congress who voted against a continuing resolution that would've provided more funds to FEMA in the wake of the storm.
"I believe FEMA plays a vital role in emergency preparedness and response. Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris White House, Senate Democrats, and House Democrats have all politicized funding bills that would have secured the aid that is desperately needed," Fry's office wrote in an email to The State of his vote. "I voted against the most recent continuing resolution due to the funding of programs that feed and house illegal immigrants through FEMA."
Border security is one of Fry's biggest issues that he's mentioned in speeches and on the campaign trail. Another issue he's spoken about is the current state of the U.S. economy.
"The American Dream of having a family, owning your own home, and starting a small business is growing further out of reach," a statement about Fry's stance on the economy said on his campaign site . "Biden's inflation-boosting policies and reckless spending are killing the American Dream."
Since beginning his political career in Washington D.C. in 2022, Fry has introduced 11 bills.
They are: The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, the Protect the BALL Act of 2024, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2024, the Chinese Spy Balloon Assessment Act, designating the "Nancy Yount Childs Post Office Building" in Surfside Beach, the Grant Transparency Act of 2023, the Fentanyl Crisis Research and Evaluation Act, Targeting Child Predators Act of 2023 , the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act, the No More Political Prosecutions Act of 2023 and commending the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women's Basketball Team.
According to records from Congress, designating the "Nancy Yount Childs Post Office Building" in Surfside Beach and the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act have passed the House, but have not yet been passed by the Senate, or signed into laws by the President.
Fry's newest piece of legislation is bipartisan, and aims to disrupt the manufacturing of illicit Fentanyl-laced pills.
"Fentanyl poisoning has taken the lives of countless Americans, including many South Carolinians," Fry said in a press release when the bill was announced. "I am proud to work with my colleagues to develop a solution and introduce the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act. Too many families have lost a loved one to fentanyl poisoning, and I am committed to doing all that I can in Congress to crack down on drug cartels and drug traffickers to protect our communities."
