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Five-term Rep. Tom Rice has lost the Republican primary to represent South Carolina in the U.S. House to state Rep. Russell Fry, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, while Rep. Nancy Mace fended off her own Trump-backed primary challenger.
Rice conceded to Fry Tuesday, Fox News has learned, while Fry was 25 points ahead and with more than 51% of the vote to Rice’s 24% when the Associated Press called the race.
Rice was one of just ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on charges that he fueled the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol led by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of now-President Biden’s Election College victory in the 2020 election.
However, Mace in the defeated her Trump-backed opponent Kate Arrington in the GOP primary after earning the former president’s ire for condemning his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots.
Mace was ahead of Arrington 53% to 45% when the Associated Press called the race.
Rice, a self-described “Chamber of Commerce” Republican, has leaned into his impeachment vote as he’s faced off from half a dozen primary challengers.
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Republican Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina speaks to supporters at a campaign event on the eve of the state’s primary, Pawleys Island on June 13, 2022 (Fox News )
“Republicans are supposed to protect the Constitution. We take an oath to protect the Constitution, not a man,” Rice emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary. “And so what I did was take a conservative vote. If you want a conservative, I’m the guy.”
Fry told Fox News he wouldn’t be challenging Rice if the congressman hadn’t voted for impeachment, adding “I think the impeachment is the big elephant in the room and the voters are incredibly frustrated by that.”
Republican congressional candidate Russell Fry speaks to supporters at a campaign event on the eve of the state’s primary, in Florence , S.C. on June 13, 2022 (Fox News)
The solidly red district, which covers the northeast corner of South Carolina and includes the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area, known as the Grand Strand, and the interior Pee Dee region, is Trump country.
REP. NANCY MACE FACES TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
In the First Congressional District — a key general election swing seat which includes much of coastal South Carolina including the fast-growing suburbs surrounding the city of Charleston — first-term Mace faced a single primary challenge from former state lawmaker Arrington, who was backed by Trump.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina speaks to supporters at a campaign event in Summerville, S.C., on June 12, 2022 (Fox News )
Mace was one of the earliest supporters of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. But while Mace didn’t vote to impeach, she did publicly criticize Trump after the storming of the Capitol, saying he “put all of our lives at risk.”.
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Even though Trump’s targeting her, Mace is spotlighting her MAGA credentials.
Republican congressional candidate Katie Arrington, who is primary challenging Rep. Nancy Mace in the 1st Congressional District in South Carolina’s Tuesday primary, speaks with Fox News in Summerville, S.C on June 12, 2022 (Fox News)
“I’m the only candidate in this race that supports America First policies. We have a lot that we can agree on as Americans, as conservatives, as Republicans, no matter what brand of Republican you are in our country. I put our country first,” Mace told Fox News.
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But Arrington charges that Mace is “not a conservative. That’s why I am running. She turned her back on us in the district. She turned her back on Donald J. Trump.”
Trump, who blased Mace numerous times over the the past several months, congratulated her in a post on Truth Social, where he said “Katie Arrington was a long shot but ran a great race and way over performed.”
“Congrats to Nancy Mace, who should easily be able to defeat her Democrat opponent,” Trump added.
On Fry’s defeat of Rice, Trump said it amounted to the “biggest News of the evening so far.”
“… Russell Fry beat Impeach Master Tom Rice with a Vote of more than 51%, therefore WINNING OUTRIGHT with no need for a run-off. Rice only got 24%. Congratulations to Russell on running a great campaign!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Source: www.foxnews.com