Russell Fry serves as exuberant warm-up act for Tim Scott at Myrtle Beach rally

A energetic Russell Fry urged GOP loyalists on Friday to back his congressional pursuit alongside U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s reelection, borrowing a trademark slogan from his most well-known backer.

“I look forward to being part of that new majority that walks up the Capitol steps, takes the gavel right out of Nancy Pelosi’s hand and tells her, ‘you are fired,’ Fry told a crowd of about 70 in downtown Myrtle Beach.

Fry, a Surfside Beach attorney, is poised to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Rice in the state’s 7th congressional district after a strong primary showing buoyed by an endorsement from former president Donald Trump.

He’ll face Democrat Daryl Scott in November’s general election. Horry County leans heavily Republican. Trump won more than two-thirds of the vote in 2016 and 2020.

Fry, a former S.C. House majority whip, spent months leading up to that summer match up hammering Rice for his vote to impeach Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, coming away with a decisive win.

Chants of “Fry the Rice” greeted Rice’s most high-profile challenger throughout the campaign, but on Friday, Fry made it clear where his focus is now.

“When you look at the Democrats and the policies that are coming out of Washington, D.C. they are intent to fundamentally change this country, they want to change this country in a way that lessens us,” he said.

Wearing cowboy boots and blue jeans held up by a belt emblazoned with the state’s distinctive crescent and palmetto tree logo, Fry spoke for roughly five minutes before giving the stage over to Scott.

“We’ve always handed this country off to the next generation a little bit better than we found it. But I will be damned if this is the first generation that says, ‘America’s best days are behind it,’ so we need to get in that fight right now,” he said.

Fry, an attorney, faulted the Biden administration for restoring a culture of lawlessness to the nation. He also said people are “tired” of elevated gas prices, rising interest rates and open borders that allow for the flow of fentanyl and human trafficking victims.

“Joe Biden was given the keys to the kingdom and he is driving that car, asleep at the wheel, right off a cliff,” Fry said. “You have a Department of Justice that is not focused on putting the bad guys behind bars. The rule of law in this country is being eradicated very aggressively, and that’s because of this administration.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.