Republican who impeached Trump loses primary in South Carolina

Former state Rep. Russell Fry was projected to have defeated Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) in the GOP primary in South Carolina’s 7th district on Tuesday in a campaign that zeroed in on the five-term incumbent’s vote last year to impeach former President Donald Trump.

The Associated Press called the race at 11:01 p.m. ET.

Rice was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

That vote earned him a spot on the former president’s enemies list, as well as a field of primary challengers. Trump endorsed Fry in the race in February.

Nevertheless, Rice never walked back his past criticism of Trump and defended his impeachment vote. 
Fry, meanwhile, attacked Rice over the impeachment vote and his tenure in the House, arguing that the five-term congressman had lost the trust of voters in South Carolina’s 7th District.

The GOP primary in South Carolina’s 7th District was one of two in the state to serve as a test of Trump’s influence over Republican voters. In the state’s 1st District, Trump sought to oust Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who criticized him last year over his role in the Jan. 6 attack.

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