Tom Rice, Russell Fry, other SC candidates for Congress will debate tonight. How to watch
U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, who’s seeking a sixth term in Washington, D.C., will face off against his crowded field of competitors Thursday at a debate at Francis Marion University.
Rice is facing competition as he seeks re-election because he was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in January 2021 following the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Trump himself said in November, in a statement that he would support “good and SMART America First Republican Patriots” who challenged the sitting congressman in this spring’s primary.
Rice has defended his vote to impeach Trump, arguing the president’s actions on Jan. 6 amounted to a violation of the Constitution.
But Trump made good on his promise and endorsed state Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, in February. The two shared a rally stage in Florence in March.
On Thursday, Rice and Fry will face off directly for the first time.
The debate will take place at Francis Marion University from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Who will be there?
The debate, hosted by the Florence County Republican Party, Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, Community Broadcasters and TV news station WMBF, will feature five candidates:
- U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach
- S.C. Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach
- Horry County Board of Education Chairman Ken Richardson, R-Horry County
- Cheraw physician Dr. Garrett Barton
- Christian speaker Barbara Arthur
Debate organizers said in an email they invited those candidates because they were the top fundraisers as of April 15, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Read more about fundraising in the SC-7 congressional race here.
How you can watch the debate
Debate organizers have said all in-person tickets have been reserved and the auditorium at Francis Marion University will be full during the debate
But you can still watch.
On TV, WMBF will broadcast the first hour of the debate beginning at 7 p.m.
On the radio, WFRK- Live 95.3 FM will broadcast the debate beginning at 7 p.m.
Online, both WMBF’s and WFRK’s websites will carry a livestream of the entire debate.
On Facebook, the Florence County Republican Party will carry a livestream of the entire debate.
Ken Ard, the host of WFRK’s “Wake-Up Carolina” morning show will moderate the debate.
What else do I need to know?
To date, no public polling has been done on the 7th Congressional District race, meaning there’s no indication of who’s ahead and who’s not ahead of Thursday’s debate.
That means the debate will be the first time voters get to hear from all candidates at once and hear where they stand on various issues.
Several civic and political groups around the 7th District have held candidate forums, but not all candidates have attended those events.
In some ways, political observers have told The Sun News, the primary race will be a referendum on Trump’s influence in Republican Party politics. Some Horry County conservatives have told The Sun News they wish Trump would have endorsed a candidate other than Fry, and disagree with the former presidents’ choice.
Here’s some coverage of this race to read ahead of the debate:
- SC’s Tom Rice, once a Trump ally, now faces the toughest primary race of his life
- ‘He made a mistake.’ Horry conservatives split on Trump endorsing Fry for Congress
- Russell Fry shared a stage with Donald Trump on Saturday. Will it be enough for victory?
- Big money pouring into SC07 GOP primary as Rice, Fry pull away from fundraising pack
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the proper name for FMUPAC.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Tom Rice, Russell Fry, other SC candidates for Congress will debate tonight. How to watch."
