Facing 9 challengers, SC’s Tom Rice maintains significant campaign fundraising edge
Though voters still have nearly nine months before the primary elections in which they’ll decide on candidates for Senator, Governor and representative in Congress, the money has already begun pouring in.
Across South Carolina’s 7th congressional district, which stretches across the Northeastern corner of the state, 10 candidates for congress have raised collectively more than $2.71 million. And collectively, the candidates have $2.78 million on hand to spend.
Leading that pack is incumbent Rep. Tom Rice (R-Myrtle Beach) who’s raised $1.13 million so far this year, and has $1.8 million in his campaign warchest. Rice, first elected in 2012, is serving his fifth term in Congress and is running for a sixth. Rice is facing a crowded field of candidates this cycle in part because he voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in January after a violent crowd of protesters ransacked the U.S. Capitol Building in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
In addition to individual donors, some of Rice’s largest donations have come from political action committees representing large companies or industries. Federal donation data shows Duke Energy, of North Carolina, the AFLAC PAC, the Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a PAC connected to an investment banking firm among the congressman’s top donors to date.
Rice’s campaign is not supported by any loans, a practice common among other candidates in the race.
Despite Rice’s lead in fundraising, though, other candidates are demonstrating their ability to raise large sums.
In second place behind Rice is the conservative media personality Graham Allen, who works with Turning Point USA, lives in Anderson and has a wide following on social media platforms. Allen has raised $738,244 to date, and has $303,541 in the bank left to spend. Allen has drawn skepticism for not living in the 7th congressional district, though he’s pledged to move to the area.
While Allen hasn’t drawn in support of political action committees to date, he has drawn support from figures like South Carolina developer Philip Walpole and other corporate leaders. Allen’s campaign is supported by a $92,000 loan from Allen.
South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry (R-Surfside Beach) came in third for fundraising totals, raising $224,987 since he launched his campaign in August and maintaining $220,947 in the bank to spend. Fry’s campaign is supported by a $2,900 loan from Fry. Detailed information on who Fry’s top donors are wasn’t available Monday.
Fry has made waves as a candidate in part because of his rapid rise through South Carolina politics. After graduating from law school in 2011, Fry led the Grand Strand Young Republicans before winning a position in the state Republican Party’s executive committee in 2013. Fry then won a special election for his state house seat in 2015 and has since served as a whip for Republicans in the legislature.
Behind Fry is Horry County Board of Education Chairman Ken Richardson, who’s raised $223,512 to date and has $116,415 left in the bank. Richardson was one of the first candidates to announce a challenge against Rice, saying he made the decision to do so even before Rice’s January vote to impeach Trump.
Richardson has drawn significant support from area developers and business owners including King Construction Services in Conway, Lloyd Coppedge who owns Wolverine Brass, as well as multiple supporters from the Beverly family, which operates Beverly Homes and the Godwin family, which operates Unlimited Sanitation, Southern Asphalt and other firms. Richardson’s campaign is supported by a $100,000 loan from Richardson.
Cheraw-area family doctor Garrett Barton comes in fifth place for fundraising, having amassed $210,865 since announcing his candidacy several weeks ago. Barton currently has $181,111 in the bank, according to federal data. Several out-of-state doctors and other professionals rank among Barton’s top donors. Barton’s campaign is also being supported via a $150,000 loan from Barton.
Anti-communist and Cuban-American candidate Barbara Arthur was the sixth and final candidate to raise more than $100,000 to date. Arthur, according to federal data, has raised $106,431 to date and has $103,452 in the bank. Arthur’s campaign is supported largely by individual donors, as well as an $85,000 loan from Arthur.
Four other candidates in the race — Tom Dunn, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, Steve Reichert and Jeanette Spurlock — have raised around $74,000 collectively. Dunn has raised $38,941, McBride has raised $18,560 and Reichert has raised $15,825. Spurlock has raised $268.
In recent weeks, candidates in the middle of the fundraising pack have touted their ability to make strong showings at this point in the race. Fry’s campaign, for example, boasted about his ability to raise more than $200,000 in just eight weeks.
“The response is both overwhelming and humbling. I didn’t grow up with much so I’m always appreciative of every single donation.” Fry said in a press release earlier this month. “Our message of restoring trust and electing a new generation of Republican leaders is resonating with people. Our donors are friends and family and perfect strangers. They are teachers, mechanics, first responders, retirees, veterans, and small business owners. And I am deeply honored to have earned their support.”
Barton’s campaign, too, touted their $210,000 total raised over the course of several weeks.
“The people of the Pee Dee are sick of sending people to Washington who work for special interests and DC insiders,” Barton said in a press release last week. “They want someone who will work for them. Our campaign is about listening to South Carolinians and putting America First.”
South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District stretches from Georgetown County to the state line and includes Horry, Marion, Chesterfield, Dillon, Marlboro and Darlington counties, as well as part of Florence County.
The Republican primary election for the seat will be held next year.
This story was originally published October 18, 2021 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Facing 9 challengers, SC’s Tom Rice maintains significant campaign fundraising edge."
