The race to succeed longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was in full swing across Lancaster and York counties last Thursday evening. Seventh District U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who recently entered the race for the U.S. Senate, began the evening at Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land and finished with an event at the Martin Law Firm in downtown Fort Mill.
The Fort Mill meet-and-greet drew approximately 50 people from across the region who came to learn more about Fry. They were not disappointed.
Before Fry spoke, the crowd heard an emotional address from Stephen Federico, the father of Logan Federico. Logan was killed last year while visiting friends in Columbia. Alexander Dickey has been charged with her murder. Despite a lengthy criminal history, Dickey had repeatedly returned to the streets, and gaps in criminal-record reporting contributed to the failures that kept authorities from seeing the full extent of his record.
Logan’s Law is intended to help change that. The legislation, introduced by Senator Graham and Congressman Fry, would establish a national registry of violent offenders and identify gaps in the way federal and state governments share criminal-history information.
Federico spoke about the support his family received from Fry and the surrounding community. Speaking about Fry, he said:
“In reaching out to my family and myself, he came to us not as a politician. He came to me as a father. He came to me as a friend and wanted to know how he could help. That’s the true definition of a politician: one who worries about the community, one who drops everything he’s doing to make a phone call on his way home from an event so he can talk me off the ledge.”
Federico continued:
“He asked me what I wanted and how I wanted it. I said common sense. We introduced Logan’s Law back in May with Lindsey Graham, and tragically, we lost Lindsey Graham. Russell has promised me that the push goes on for Logan’s Law.”
Following Federico’s remarks, Fry addressed the group with a straightforward question:
“Do you want somebody who’s got a little bit of common sense? Representative David Martin talked about it. Are you ready for somebody like that? Are you ready for that to return to Washington?”
Fry also took aim at the political talking heads who want to be famous on social media—the same crowd that complains endlessly but rarely offers a solution. It brought to mind a quote often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt: “Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.” Fry has never been a whiner. He gets things done and has a record of doing so at both the state and federal levels.
Fry continued:
“Annie Andrews is no joke. If you elect the wrong nominee, we’re going to have problems in the general election. This is a Republican state, but it doesn’t have to be if you send the wrong nominee. This is a fight for the future. She’s got $7 million in the bank, and we need a nominee who can go toe-to-toe with her. That’s important, and I’m excited about this opportunity because it is my mission.”
Fry is every bit the conservative warrior needed for the task, and I believe he can win the general election for the U.S. Senate.
He also said voters are not looking to elect another piece of furniture to Congress. They want someone willing to stand in the arena. Theodore Roosevelt famously described that kind of public servant:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Russell Fry is our man in the arena. He encouraged everyone to follow him on the campaign trail, promising to take that same tenacity to Washington as South Carolina’s next U.S. senator. He would be energetic and engaged—and we certainly would not see him dozing off during committee hearings.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have known Russell since before he first ran for elected office. He is genuine and down-to-earth. Just as Lindsey Graham was simply “Lindsey” to the people back home, Russell Fry will remain “Russell”—an everyday South Carolinian who rose from modest beginnings and never forgot where he came from.
Russell follows in the tradition of Strom Thurmond and Lindsey Graham. Like them, he understands that constituent service comes first. His work with the Federico family on Logan’s Law shows that he will listen to South Carolinians, take their problems seriously, and work to find answers.
South Carolina Republicans have an important decision to make on August 11. Take the time to learn about Russell Fry—not only the elected official, but the man. I believe you will be impressed by his character, his record, and his determination to serve South Carolina.
