WMBF Exclusive: Rep. Russell Fry announces re-election campaign

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Congressman Russell Fry wants to spend two more years in Washington D.C.

He sat down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with WMBF News, where he announced he is running for re-election in South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District.

“It’s really important that we continue to hit the ground like we have, and represent the people, and listen to them most importantly,” Fry said.

What he has been doing while in office is pushing for what he calls “common sense policies.”

Fry serves on both the House Judiciary and Oversight and Reform committees. He said he’s proud of what he has achieved on these committees, including passing the Secure the Border Act and the Low Energy Cost Act.

“I think we need to focus on the border, I think our debt is out of control. These are things that really make sense to the average American,” Fry said.

When WMBF News asked Fry about affordability, whether it’s housing or groceries, he said he blames extensive government spending. He added that social security and healthcare programs could be in trouble in the future

“If we’re serious about keeping these programs afloat and serious about extending the life of them to the next generation and the generation after that, then we need to get our spending under control, because right now those programs, which are huge for so many people that live along our coast and in our state, they’re very vulnerable right now,” Fry explained.

He added that many issues can be fixed by limiting government intervention.

“It’s very bleak for people on fixed income, for working families, so we gotta get back to the basics, we gotta get back to what government’s supposed to, but we do that by getting government out of the way and allowing growth and opportunity to take place in this country,” Fry said.

He said he has also been a big supporter of law enforcement and believes crime problems would decrease if police are supported more.

“This notion that we’re going to defund the police, or that we are going demonize the police and make it hard for them to do their jobs, I think we need to dispense with that and make sure that we are advocating for our law enforcement officers both at the state level, the federal level, and the local level,” Fry added.

As for 2024, when WMBF News asked Fry about a potential split in the GOP especially around which candidates support former President Trump, he told me he’s not concerned.

“Having a primary is like a family squabble sometimes and at the end, you coalesce around your nominee and you march on to November,” he said. “These debates have always happened in the Republican Party, ever since I can remember, so I think it’s important; it’s healthy for the conservative movement.”

Fry also said he is endorsing the former president in 2024, and his indictments will not change that.

“(Trump) was a large part of the reason we had such a renaissance era for the American people. You look at the economic indicators, the job opportunities, the wage growth, people really flourished under his administration,” Fry said.

He added that he works for everyone, whether they support him or not, and he is proud of what he has done since January.

“Everyone looks at the votes, everyone looks at what happens in Washington, but where I think you have your biggest impact are some of the people that you help back home,” Fry explained.

The congressman said that if he is elected to another term, he will continue working on securing the border along with some initiatives that he has been part of in the Judiciary and Oversight committees.

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