Republican candidates and elected officials packed a stage on the Grand Strand for the third annual Russell Fry's Freedom Fry, a campaign rally built around speeches and a French fry bar, drawing in U.S. Senate hopeful Darline Graham, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Tim Scott, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and attorney general candidate David Stumbo just days before South Carolina voters decide a slate of statewide races.
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who is running again to keep his congressional seat, hosted the gathering, according to WPDE. WPDE reported that the Freedom Fry took place Friday night, Oct. 23. Graham addressed supporters at a lunchtime rally at Veterans Cafe and Grille in Myrtle Beach on Monday, Oct. 26, and Wilson attended, according to My Horry News. Fry told the crowd that he and others still had work to do and would fight together to save the republic, per the station's report.
Fentanyl, Border Security Headline Stumbo's Pitch
Attorney general candidate David Stumbo used his time at the microphone to focus on fentanyl and border security, telling attendees that smuggling routes shifted to boats in the Caribbean once traffickers could no longer move product across the southern border, the same account notes. He called for taking the fight against fentanyl off South Carolina streets and partnering with officials in Washington, D.C., to keep families safe.
Darline Graham, campaigning to hold the Senate seat, was described at the event as stepping into her late brother's shoes after he appeared as a guest speaker at last year's Freedom Fry. She said she hoped to continue her late brother's legacy, though she differed from him on immigration, saying people in the United States illegally should leave. Ted Cruz, who the report characterized as appearing to support Graham's campaign, said the Senate race was neck and neck.
A Crowded Lineup of National Figures
Beyond Cruz, Sen. Tim Scott and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan attended to support candidates, according to the WPDE report. Their presence came as candidates in South Carolina's races for governor, U.S. Senate and the 7th Congressional District made a final push to voters in Horry County eight days before Election Day, as detailed by WMBF News. That station also reported more than 4,000 voters had already turned out at the 21st Ave County Complex early voting site in the preceding week.
Gubernatorial candidate Alan Wilson, a Republican running against Democrat Jermaine Johnson, campaigned alongside Cruz in a separate appearance on the Grand Strand, according to My Horry News, which also noted that Republicans have won every South Carolina governor's race since 2002 and that no Democrat has won statewide office since 2006. Graham's Senate opponents include Democratic candidate Dr. Annie Andrews, Libertarian Dr. Kasie Whitener and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett, according to FOX Carolina.
A Senate Race Still Up for Grabs
The Senate contest has drawn national attention amid signs it is closer than Republicans would like. Polling averages have shown Graham leading Andrews by about 2.7 percentage points, as reported by Al Jazeera. Decision Desk HQ has forecast the race leaning toward Graham, giving her a 67 percent chance of winning to Andrews's 33 percent, while the Cook Political Report shifted its rating away from the GOP's favor after a wave of new funding boosted Andrews's chances, according to The Hill. That outlet also reported that former South Carolina governors David Beasley and Jim Hodges, a bipartisan pair, endorsed Andrews over Graham.
This year's Freedom Fry followed a format established in its first two outings. Last year's event, held Aug. 18, brought together roughly 600 Republicans from South Carolina and surrounding states and featured the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Joe Wilson, Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep. Nancy Mace and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, according to a prior report from My Horry News.
With Election Day set for Nov. 3, South Carolina's early voting period remains open for registered voters who want to cast ballots in person ahead of time. The early voting period gives voters an opportunity to cast ballots before Election Day.
