Russell Fry

Russell Fry Bio

Russell William Fry (born January 31, 1985) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Fry represented the 106th District in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023 and in 2018 was appointed Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly. In 2022 he challenged incumbent Tom Rice in the Republican primary, won the nomination, and was elected to Congress in November 2022. A lawyer by training, Fry has been active in legislative roles at both the state and federal level.

Early Life and Background

Russell William Fry was born on January 31, 1985, in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Surfside Beach is a small coastal community in the Grand Strand area of Horry County, where Fry spent his early years and developed the regional ties that would later shape his political career. Growing up in South Carolina exposed him to the state’s conservative political traditions and community-centered public life from a young age.

Fry pursued higher education at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to attend the Charleston School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor and qualified to practice law in the state. His combined training in the liberal arts and the law gave him a foundation in both policy thinking and the legal reasoning that would later define his work in elected office.

Path to US Politics

After completing his legal education, Fry returned to South Carolina to build a career as a practicing attorney. Working in his home state allowed him to stay connected to local issues and to begin forming the political relationships that would lead to his first campaign. His experience handling legal matters in coastal South Carolina helped him develop a practical understanding of the concerns facing residents and small businesses in the region.

Fry’s entry into electoral politics came in 2015, when he entered a special election for the South Carolina House of Representatives. His successful campaign marked the beginning of a long stretch of state-level service. In 2018, Republican leadership in the state House recognized his work by appointing him Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly, a leadership position that signaled his rising influence within the state party.

Russell Fry Career

Early Career (2015-2022)

Fry’s political career began in May 2015, when State Representative Nelson Hardwick announced his resignation amid a House investigation into sexual harassment allegations. Fry entered the special election to fill the vacant 106th District seat, won a plurality of the vote in the Republican primary in July, and advanced to a runoff against Tyler Servant. Fry won the runoff and was unopposed in the general election, securing his place in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Over the following years, Fry built a strong record in the state legislature, representing the 106th District from 2015 to 2023. His steady work in Columbia earned him the role of Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly, a position that placed him at the center of the Republican caucus’s legislative strategy. By the time he decided to seek federal office, Fry had become one of the more recognized state-level Republicans along the South Carolina coast.

U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2022-2023)

In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack, U.S. Representative Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th congressional district voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump. Fry publicly criticized Rice for that vote and announced in August 2021 that he would challenge him in the 2022 Republican primary. On February 1, 2022, former President Trump endorsed Fry, giving his campaign a significant national boost.

On June 14, 2022, Fry defeated Rice in the Republican primary by 26.6 percentage points, ending Rice’s congressional career. On November 8, 2022, Fry won the general election with 64.9 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Daryl Scott and securing his seat in Congress. During orientation week for the new Congress, Fry was elected by his colleagues to serve as president of the congressional freshman class. On January 16, 2023, it was announced that Fry would serve on the House Judiciary Committee, placing him on one of the most active panels in the chamber.

U.S. House Tenure Era (2023-Present)

Since taking office in January 2023, Fry has been an active member of the House Judiciary Committee and has weighed in on a range of foreign policy and national security matters. In 2023, he was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, a resolution directing President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days. He also joined 52 Republicans that year in voting for H.Con.Res. 30, which sought to remove American troops from Somalia.

Fry has also engaged on issues related to Israel and the definition of antisemitism in public life. He voted to provide Israel with support following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. He was among 187 Republicans who voted in favor of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would require the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism when reviewing complaints of discrimination in federally funded programs. Civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, raised concerns that the definition could limit free speech about Israel on college campuses.

Notable Events and Milestones

One of the defining moments of Fry’s early congressional career was his 26.6-point primary victory over incumbent Tom Rice in June 2022, a result that signaled the strength of the anti-impeachment movement within the South Carolina Republican Party. His November 2022 general election win, secured with nearly 65 percent of the vote, confirmed his broad appeal across the 7th district. His selection as president of the congressional freshman class and his assignment to the House Judiciary Committee rounded out a fast start on Capitol Hill.

Russell Fry Career Wins

Russell Fry has built a steady record of electoral victories, beginning with his first win in a 2015 Republican primary runoff for the South Carolina House of Representatives and continuing through his successful run for Congress in 2022. His wins reflect both his strength in Republican primaries and his ability to consolidate support in general elections across the coastal South Carolina region.

U.S. House of Representatives Highlights

Fry’s most significant victory came on November 8, 2022, when he won South Carolina’s 7th congressional district seat with 64.9 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Daryl Scott. That win followed his 26.6-point primary defeat of incumbent Tom Rice on June 14, 2022, a contest shaped by Rice’s vote to impeach President Trump. Together, the primary and general election results established Fry as a leading voice for a new generation of South Carolina Republicans in Congress.

Other Wins and Achievements

Before reaching Congress, Fry won a Republican primary plurality in July 2015 for the 106th District, won the subsequent runoff, and was unopposed in the general election. In 2018, he was appointed Majority Chief Whip for the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly, a leadership role that reflected the trust of his colleagues in the state House.

Russell Fry Family

Family Background and Personal Life

Russell William Fry is married, and he and his wife Bronwen have one son. His family life has been a steady presence alongside his rise from Surfside Beach to the state legislature and on to Capitol Hill. Fry is a Baptist, and his faith has been a consistent part of his public identity.

Personal Life

Outside of his work in Congress, Fry continues to maintain ties to the South Carolina coastal community where he grew up. His background as a lawyer, a state legislator, and now a member of Congress has been supported by his family, including his wife Bronwen Fry and their son.