Republican Congressman Russell Fry was noticeably absent from a U.S. Congressional Candidate Forum held Tuesday evening, October 13, at Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island. His Democratic challenger, John Gregory Vincent, attended and addressed voters in South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District.
The nonpartisan forum, sponsored by the Georgetown Branch of the NAACP, was organized to give residents an opportunity to hear directly from both candidates about issues affecting their communities.
According to attendees, NAACP representatives explained that organizers had repeatedly attempted to contact Fry’s office over several months, including sending a certified letter, but received no response until the day of the event.
Organizers reportedly received a response from Fry’s office around noon Tuesday, stating that the congressman could not attend because of a “scheduling conflict.”
Vincent, a retired U.S. Navy veteran with 20 years of military service, appeared as scheduled and participated in the forum.
Fry’s absence left voters without the opportunity to hear both candidates address the same audience and answer questions about their priorities for the district.
The forum highlighted an important issue for SC-7 voters: the opportunity to hear directly from their elected representatives and candidates seeking public office.
