Facing Trump-backed foe, South Carolina’s Rice raises $342K – KOAM

U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina introduced in practically $342,000 through the first quarter of this 12 months, giving the Republican a struggle chest of $2 million as he tries to stave off a slew of main challengers, together with one with the backing of former President Donald Trump.

Total, Rice has raised $1.6 million this marketing campaign cycle and has $2 million complete readily available, in keeping with figures offered Thursday to The Related Press.

Looking for his sixth time period, Rice is considered one of two sitting South Carolina Republicans going through Trump-backed challengers within the June 14 main. Final week, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace advised AP that she had raised practically $1 million within the weeks following Trump’s endorsement of former state Rep. Katie Arrington, considered one of Mace’s GOP challengers.

Within the seventh District, Trump has endorsed state Rep. Russell Fry in opposition to Rice, who drew the previous president’s scorn for supporting his second impeachment within the aftermath of the violent Jan. 6, 2021, rebel ignited by the then-president. That vote, Rice advised AP a day later, “hurts my coronary heart” to forged.

Lengthy a dependable backer of Trump, who campaigned with him, Rice voted 94% of the time in favor of Trump-backed laws, in keeping with FiveThirtyEight — the best proportion amongst South Carolina’s delegation at the moment. However Rice stated he determined to again impeachment after seeing what he characterised as Trump’s inaction through the riot.

Since then, Republicans have declared their displeasure with Rice, who has represented the seventh District since its creation in 2012. The South Carolina GOP formally censured him to indicate disapproval over his vote, a step additionally taken by social gathering committees throughout the nation to punish lots of the 10 Home Republicans who supported Trump’s impeachment.

Earlier this 12 months, Rice advised AP in an interview that he stood by his vote, which he stated isn’t talked about when he meets with constituents and voters.

“What he’s saying is that violence within the title of politics is OK, and I don’t consider in political violence,” Rice stated, of Trump’s feedback about Jan. 6. “I feel that when the president continues to say issues like that, his affect continues to wane.”

In March, Trump held a marketing campaign rally in South Carolina on behalf of Arrington and Fry.

“You presently have two atrocious RINOs, they’re unhealthy individuals, within the Home who went to Washington, offered you out, and partnered with the Democrats to stab the Republican Get together and admittedly to stab our nation within the again,” Trump stated, of Mace and Rice, utilizing the acronym for “Republican in title solely.”

“He’s revered by nobody,” Trump stated of Rice, whom he referred to as “a catastrophe” who’s “laughed at in Washington.”

Mace, Trump stated, is “loopy” and “a horrible particular person” who “has no thought what she’s doing,” drawing loud boos from the gang.

Most of Rice’s first-quarter haul — $315,700, or 92% — got here after Trump’s Feb. 1 endorsement of Fry, in keeping with Rice’s marketing campaign.

Fry has not launched his first-quarter figures. As of the tip of final 12 months, he had raised about $351,000 complete, in keeping with federal information.

___ Meg Kinnard could be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.