Representative Russell Fry, a loyal Trump ally, faces four other candidates in a special Republican Senate primary election to succeed Lindsey Graham, who died last month.
Here are five things to know about Mr. Fry, 41, a two-term congressman from northeastern South Carolina.
1. He defeated a Republican who voted to impeach President Trump. In 2022, Mr. Fry ousted former Representative Tom Rice, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump in 2021. That victory made Mr. Trump fond of Mr. Fry.
2. The president initially signaled he might support him in the Senate race. Two days after Mr. Graham died, Mr. Trump told Newsmax that Mr. Fry was “outstanding” and suggested that the congressman might be a contender in the Senate contest. “I could see that happening,” Mr. Trump said. “I think he’s a very, very talented person.” Mr. Trump later decided to back Darline Graham, Mr. Graham’s younger sister, who had agreed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term.
3. He is running for Senate while also running for re-election to the House. South Carolina law allows Mr. Fry to continue his House re-election campaign while also running for Senate. But he would not be allowed to hold both offices simultaneously, so if he were to win both races, his House seat would become vacant in January. His rivals have criticized Mr. Fry for risking leaving Republicans a member short, especially if they hold on to their narrow House majority. Mr. Fry has acknowledged that the situation is “odd” but noted that his seat would remain safely Republican.
4. He has campaigned in part on his youth. If elected, Mr. Fry would become one of the youngest members of the Senate, where the median age is nearly 67 years old. “The Senate is an older body, and I think that’s what people want — they want fresh energy in there,” he said at a candidate event last week. “The old way of doing things, that’s why people are ticked.” Mr. Fry, a lawyer, has also said that his family came from modest means, so he understands voters struggling with affordability.
5. He once interned in Mr. Graham’s office. Mr. Graham’s roots in South Carolina’s Republican politics ran deep, and Mr. Fry was involved in party politics at a young age. He was later elected to the state’s General Assembly, where he served for seven years.
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