In Tuesday's GOP main in South Carolina, Republican Consultant Tom Rice confronted the defeating penalties of voting to question former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Rice's challenger, state Consultant Russell Fry.

With greater than 50 p.c of the GOP vote on the time the race was referred to as, Fry is headed off to November's normal election with out having to see a runoff.

Rice was considered one of 10 Home Republicans who voted to question Trump for his alleged function within the January 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol. He's additionally the primary Republican who supported impeachment to enter a main in 2022 towards a Trump-backed candidate.

Trump stayed out of final week's main in California involving Republican Consultant David Valadao, who additionally voted for impeachment, whereas different GOP primaries involving impeachment-voting members of Congress have not taken place but. Among the many upcoming primaries is Wyoming, the place Trump has pushed laborious to unseat vocal critic Consultant Liz Cheney.

Tom Rice talks to reporters
GOP Consultant Tom Rice of South Carolina, who misplaced the state's Tuesday main, voted to question former President Donald Trump. Above, Rice is pictured within the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 3, 2022.Photograph by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Photographs

Rice confronted a detailed contest in South Carolina, the place main candidates are required to win a majority of votes to be able to advance to the overall election. Polling knowledge had instructed that neither Rice nor Fry would garner greater than the 50 p.c threshold, which means a probable runoff, however Fry's sweeping win on Tuesday drew Rice's congressional workplace to a detailed.

Though he had confronted backlash, Rice remained vocal in his criticism of Trump. He lately advised The New York Occasions that he had taken to calling the previous president's efforts to unseat him "Trump's Very Presidential Touring Revenge Circus."

"Convey on the circus," Rice advised the Occasions. "You realize, some persons are afraid of clowns. I am not afraid of clowns."

Rice shouldn't be the one Trump goal in South Carolina's GOP main. The ex-president can also be placing his political weight behind unseating incumbent Consultant Nancy Mace, who voted to certify the 2020 election and made important statements about Trump's alleged function within the Capitol riot.

Although Mace didn't finally vote to question Trump, he has nonetheless made derogatory statements about her and endorsed challenger Katie Arrington, a former member of the South Carolina Home of Representatives.

Nevertheless, in contrast to Rice, Mace gained her race towards Trump-backed Katie Arrington.

Trump appeared at a rally for Fry in March, when he referred to Mace and Rice as RINOs, or Republicans in identify solely. He additional berated Rice, saying the five-term congressman was "laughed at in Washington." Rice has already confronted punishment for his impeachment vote from the South Carolina Republican Celebration, who censured him in January of 2021.

Nonetheless, Rice resolutely stood by his impeachment vote, telling ABC Information in an interview that aired on June 5 that Trump deserved impeachment as punishment for not taking steps to cease the violence on January 6, 2021.

"When he watched the Capitol, the 'Individuals's Home,' being sacked, when he watched the Capitol Police officers being crushed for 3 or 4 hours and lifted not one factor or to cease it, I used to be furious then and I am furious right now about it," Rice advised ABC Information correspondent Jonathan Karl. "And it was very clear to me I took an oath to guard the Structure."

Relating to his impeachment vote, Rice stated, "I did it then. And I'd do it once more tomorrow."

Newsweek reached out to Rice and Trump for remark.

Replace 06/14/22 11:09 p.m. The headline and story was up to date to incorporate the outcomes of the first election.