Summary
Current Position: US Representative of SC District 7 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
Previous Positions: Lawyer & SC House member from 2015 to 2023
District: Pee Dee region, and includes all of Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Marlboro Counties and most of Florence County.
Upcoming Election:
Fry was elected to serve as the president of the congressional freshman class during orientation week. On January 16, 2023, it was announced that Fry would serve on the House Judiciary Committee.
In 2018, he was appointed to the position of Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly.
OnAir Post: Russell Fry SC-07
News
About
Source: Government Page
Congressman Russell Fry is proud to serve the Grand Strand and Pee Dee as their Representative for South Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District.
Russell is a true believer in the American Dream. Growing up he watched his parents work hard for every penny they earned, and since then Russell has been doing the same. He put himself through his undergraduate education at the University of South Carolina and law school at the Charleston School of Law, where he served as president of the Student Bar Association, helped the school achieve its American Bar Association accreditation, and also received the prestigious Civility Award. After this, he practiced law along the Grand Strand for over a decade.
As an Eagle Scout, Russell shares the sentiment that “you should leave your campsite better than you found it.” Every day he strives towards a goal that “we should leave our country better than we found it.” Growing up, he saw first-hand how government’s actions directly affect families living paycheck to paycheck, and he is committed to fighting for those who don’t always have a voice.
Russell is a public servant and active member of his community. Prior to this role, he represented State House District 106 (Horry County) in South Carolina’s General Assembly for seven years. He served as Chief Majority Whip, where he fought for lower taxes, less government, pro-Second Amendment legislation, and pro-life legislation. Russell also chaired the House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee, which resulted in 18 policy initiatives being signed into law and record funding for opioid prevention, education, and treatment.
Russell is a loving husband to his wife, Bronwen, and dedicated father to their son, James. The family lives in Murrells Inlet with their chocolate lab, Jasper.
Personal
Full Name: Russell Fry
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Bronwen; 1 Child: James
Birth Date: 01/31/1985
Birth Place: Surfside Beach, SC
Home City: Murrells Inlet, SC
Religion: Methodist
Source: Vote Smart
Education
JD, Charleston School of Law, 2011
BA, Political Science, University of South Carolina, 2007
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, South Carolina, District 7, 2023-Present
Chief Majority Whip, South Carolina General Assembly, 2018-2022
Representative, South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 106, 2015-2022
Professional Experience
Attorney, Coastal Law, Limited Liability Corporation, present
Offices
Washington, DC Office
1626 Longworth HOBWashington, DC 20515
(202) 225-9895
Office Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
Grand Strand District Office
1500 Hwy 17 N, Suite 304Surfside Beach, SC 29575
(843) 353-5377
Office Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
Pee Dee District Office
1831 West Evans Street, Suite 300Florence, SC 29501
(843) 799-6880
Office Hours: 9:00am-1:00pm
and 2:30pm-5:00pm
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Congressman Fry is proud to serve on the House Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Congressman Fry serves on the following subcommittees for the House Judiciary Committee:
- Constitution and Limited Government
- Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
- Crime and Federal Government Surveillance
Congressman Fry serves on the following subcommittees for the Committee on Oversight and Accountability:
- Economic Growth, Energy Policy, Regulatory Affairs
- Government Operations and the Federal Workforce
- Healthcare and Financial Services
Election Results
To learn more, go to this wikipedia section in this post.
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
Congressman Fry serves on the following subcommittees for the House Judiciary Committee:
- Constitution and Limited Government
- Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
- Crime and Federal Government Surveillance
Congressman Fry serves on the following subcommittees for the Committee on Oversight and Accountability:
- Economic Growth, Energy Policy, Regulatory Affairs
- Government Operations and the Federal Workforce
- Healthcare and Financial Services
You can learn more about the House Judiciary Committee here.
You can learn more about the Committee on Oversight and Accountability here.
New Legislation
Sponsored Legislation
Co-Sponsored Legislation
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
South Carolina’s 7th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in South Carolina, established in 2011 following apportionment of another seat to the state in the redistricting cycle following the 2010 census. It is located in the Pee Dee region, and includes all of Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Marlboro Counties and most of Florence County. The district is represented by Republican Russell Fry who was elected in 2022 and took office on January 3, 2023.
Wikipedia
Russell William Fry (born January 31, 1985) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district since 2023.[1]
A member of the Republican Party,[2] Fry represented the 106th District in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023.[3][4] In 2018, he was appointed to the position of Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly.[5]
Career
South Carolina House of Representatives
In May 2015, State Representative Nelson Hardwick announced his resignation after House leadership investigated sexual harassment allegations against him.[6] Fry ran in the special election for Hardwick’s seat. He won a plurality of the vote in the Republican primary in July and advanced to a runoff against Tyler Servant.[7] Fry won the runoff, and was unopposed in the general election.[8]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
In the aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Tom Rice, who was serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district, unexpectedly voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump.[9] Fry criticized Rice for his vote, and said he was considering running against him in 2022.[10] In August 2021, Fry announced that he would challenge Rice in the 2022 election, emphasizing his opposition to Trump’s impeachment.[11] On February 1, 2022, Trump endorsed Fry.[12] In the June 14 Republican primary, Fry defeated Rice by 26.6 percentage points.[13] On November 8, Fry was elected to Congress with 64.9% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Daryl Scott.
Tenure
Fry was elected to serve as the president of the congressional freshman class during orientation week.[14][15] On January 16, 2023, it was announced that Fry would serve on the House Judiciary Committee.[16]
Political positions
Syria
In 2023, Fry was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[17][18]
Somalia
In 2023, Fry was among 52 Republicans that voted in favor H.Con.Res. 30, which would remove American troops from Somalia.[19][20]
Antisemitism
Fry was among the 187 Republicans who voted in favor of H.R. 6090: The Antisemitism Awareness Act.[21] The act would require the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism “when reviewing or investigating complaints of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.”[22] The American Civil Liberties Union, along with other organizations, warned against the adoption of this definition as it could limit free speech surrounding criticism of Israel on college campuses.[23][24]
Israel
Fry voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[25][26]
Electoral history
| Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Special Republican Primary | Russell Fry | 1,152 | 44.8% | Tyler Servant | 856 | 33.3% | Roy Sprinkle | 374 | 14.5% | Sanford Cox Graves | 192 | 7.5% | |||||
| 2015 Special Republican Primary Runoff[27] | Russell Fry | 1,738 | 59.8% | Tyler Servant | 1,167 | 40.2% | |||||||||||
| 2015 Special General Election[28] | Russell Fry | 17,841 | 99.5% | ||||||||||||||
| 2016 General Election[29] | Russell Fry (i) | 17,841 | 100.0% | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 General Election[30] | Russell Fry (i) | 13,198 | 68.4% | Robin Gause | 6,088 | 31.5% | Other/Write-in | 14 | 0.1% |
| Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Republican Primary | Russell Fry | 43,509 | 51.1% | Tom Rice (i) | 20,927 | 24.6% | Barbara Arthur | 10,481 | 12.3% | Ken Richardson | 6,021 | 7.1% | |||||
| 2022 General Election | Russell Fry | 164,160 | 64.8% | Daryl W. Scott | 88,779 | 35.0% |
Personal life
Fry is a Baptist.[31] He is married and has one son.
References
- ^ “South Carolina Primary Results”. CNNpolitics. CNN. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ “Russell W. Fry – South Carolina Representative – Open States”. openstates.org. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “South Carolina Legislature Online – Member Biography”. www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Helmer, Katrina (September 19, 2015). “Russell Fry begins work as District 106 state house representative”. wmbfnews.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Tyler (December 6, 2018). “Horry County’s Russell Fry to take on new leadership role in S.C. House of Reps”. myrtlebeachonline.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “Rep. Hardwick resigns after investigation into sexual harassment claims”. WPDE-TV. May 13, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ “State House of Representatives District 106 Republican Primary”. South Carolina Election Commission. July 28, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ Harper, Scott (September 21, 2015). “Russell Fry officially takes over South Carolina House Seat 106 seat”. MyHorryNews.com. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ “Rep Tom Rice Votes to Impeach President Trump”. rice.house.gov. U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Tyler; Lovegrove, Jamie (January 31, 2021). “Rep. Russell Fry explores challenging SC GOP-censured Tom Rice for congressional seat”. The Post and Courier. Evening Post Industries. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Axelrod, Tal (August 5, 2021). “SC state Rep. Russell Fry launches primary bid against Rice over impeachment vote”. The Hill. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Trump endorses GOP challenger to South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice, The Hill, Max Greenwood, February 1, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ Hansen, Victoria (June 14, 2022). “Trump gets a split decision in South Carolina as Rice is beaten, while Mace survives”. NPR. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ James, Andrew (November 20, 2022). ““Congressman-elect Fry named president of congressional freshman class”“. WPDE-TV. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ Staff, News (November 18, 2022). ““Rep. Fry elected as president of congressional freshman class”“. WMBF-TV. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
{{cite news}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ “Congressman Russell Fry to serve on House Judiciary Committee”. WMBF-TV. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ “H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … — House Vote #136 — Mar 8, 2023”. March 8, 2023.
- ^ “House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria”. Associated Press. March 8, 2023.
- ^ “House rejects Gaetz resolution to remove US troops from Somalia”. Roll Call. April 27, 2023.
- ^ “H.Con.Res. 30: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … — House Vote #201 — Apr 27, 2023”. GovTrack.us.
- ^ “H.R. 6090: Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 — House Vote #172 — May 1, 2024”. GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ “H.R.6090 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023”. Congress.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ “ACLU Statement on Senate Introduction of ‘Anti-Semitism Awareness Act’“. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Alonso, Johanna. “ACLU Warns Against Adopting Antisemitism Definition”. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Demirjian, Karoun (2023-10-25). “House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (2023-10-25). “Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session”. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ “SC – Election Results – House Dist 106 Runoff”. www.enr-scvotes.org. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “SC – Election Results – House Dist 106 General”. www.enr-scvotes.org. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “South Carolina 106th District State House Results: Russell Fry Wins”. The New York Times. 1 August 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “Election Night Reporting – SC House Dist 106 General”. www.enr-scvotes.org. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ “Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress” (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-03-16.
External links
- Congressman Russell Fry official U.S. House website
- Russell Fry for Congress campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
