South Carolina’s 7th U.S. House Seat Candidates Prepare for Primaries

In the Myrtle Beach area, election season is in full swing with Horry County residents already taking to the polls to decide who will contest in the November elections for South Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District. The incumbent Republican Russell Fry is running unopposed in the Republican primary slated for June 11, 2024. However, the Democratic field is abuzz with activity as two candidates prepare to challenge Fry in the upcoming elections. These candidates are Mal Hyman, a retired professor from Coker University in Hartsville, S.C., and Daryl Scott, a 24-year Army and S.C. National Guard veteran.

Hyman and Scott Vie for the Democratic Nomination

Both Hyman and Scott have previously run for office. Hyman had contested for the Seventh Congressional District twice, losing to Tom Rice in the 2016 general election and to Robert Williams in the 2018 run-off election for the Democratic nomination. On the other hand, the 2022 Seventh Congressional District general election saw Scott represent the Democratic party and lose to the current incumbent Russell Fry.

Daryl Scott’s Campaign Promises

Scott outlined his military and educational background in an email to HERE News, emphasising his support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For The People Act. This proposed bill aims to expand voting rights protections in response to Supreme Court cases that weakened the Voting Rights Act. He also introduced his potential “Education Bill of Rights,” a package of legislation aimed at giving teachers access to loans and other tools to make housing and transportation costs affordable.

“My small-town upbringing and military service have ingrained values of integrity, discipline, and dedication within me,”

Scott wrote and further detailed his dedication to addressing important family issues, women’s rights advocacy, seniors’ quality care, veterans’ rights and fiscal stewardship.

Mal Hyman Strives to Meet the District’s Needs

Hyman said his background as an educator, both at the collegiate level and in maximum-security prisons, provides him a unique perspective and qualifications for Congress. Moreover, his campaign focus is on strengthening Medicare and Social Security, early childhood education, raising the minimum wage, expanding healthcare, addressing climate change, and rebuilding infrastructure. He also stated his commitment to not accept corporate donations during his campaign.

“I’ve been arguing and campaigning on a Children’s Bill of Rights that all children have a right to food, health care, housing, good schools, safe streets, clean air, and clean water,” Hyman added.

Russell Fry Focused on Serving His Constituents

Although Russell Fry, the incumbent Republican, will only face his Democratic opponent after the June 11 primary, he has started preparing his election campaign. Fry praised his contribution in helping Longs secure a new Post Office after a fire and is determined to remain visible to his constituents.

“We pride ourselves in being very visible to the public; we will not be sitting in a basement somewhere. We will be very visible in the district as we always have been,” Fry stated. In addition to this engagement, his focus is on securing the U.S. borders, curbing wasteful spending, keeping taxes low, and passing the Secure the Border Act of 2023.

Historical Challenge Facing the Democrats

Whether Scott or Hyman emerges as the Democratic candidate for the Seventh Congressional District, they will be faced with the historical trend of the Republicans winning every general election since the district’s re-establishment in 2013. The last Democratic representative for the district was Hampton Fulmer, who served in 1933.

This article is part of HERE News Network’s ongoing coverage of South Carolina’s political landscape. Stay tuned for the results of the primary on June 11, 2024.