U.S. House, South Carolina 7th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in South Carolina's 7th Congressional District?
Russell Fry has the strongest record in South Carolina's 7th Congressional District. Russell Fry scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of John Vincent at 50, as of October 9, 2026. Russell Fry's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Russell Fry
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
Democratic
John Vincent
On the ballot as John Gregory Vincent
50 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Russell Fry
- On the record2026
Voted Yea on the ROTOR Act in 2026 when Speaker Mike Johnson voted Nay; the bill failed under suspension 264 to 133.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
- On the record2023-05-31
Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the 2023 debt limit deal, which Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House leaders supported; it passed 314 to 117.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023
- Credit2026-01-23
Sponsored the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, on vacating convictions of trafficking victims, signed Jan. 23, 2026 with 19 cosponsors including 8 Democrats.
- Credit2024-12-11
Sponsored the Grant Transparency Act of 2023, signed into law Dec. 11, 2024 as Pub.L. 118-140.
John Vincent
- On the record2025-05
Announced in May 2025 that he was suspending his campaign, resumed it by June 2025, and later called the announcement a rookie mistake.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Russell Fry. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 13, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076793, House Committee on Ethics site search for Fry, FEC administrative fines search
John Vincent. A House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 12, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077531, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Russell Fry. Voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act in 2023 and the Ukraine supplemental in 2024 when the Speaker voted yes, and for the ROTOR Act in 2026 when the Speaker voted no.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
John Vincent. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Russell Fry. His office held two in-person 'Freedom Hour' events in Georgetown and Dillon counties in February 2025, per The Sun News.
John Vincent. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Russell Fry. Served in the state House from 2015 to 2022 and in Congress since 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Russell Fry, House Committee on Ethics site search for Fry
John Vincent. Served 20 years in the Navy, retiring in 2003 as a command master chief. No conduct finding found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Russell Fry. Has held sworn state and federal office since 2015. Took his House seat in 2023, after the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
John Vincent. Served 20 years in the Navy. No official finding of misuse of office.
Source: Ballotpedia, John Vincent
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Russell Fry. In the U.S. House since January 2023, seeking a third term; represented District 106 in the state House from 2015 to 2022; attorney.
John Vincent. Served 20 years in the Navy, rising to command master chief, then worked as a leadership consultant and founded a leadership consulting business. Has not held public office.
Sources: SC Daily Gazette via Yahoo News, April 17, 2025, Campaign site, About
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Russell Fry. Serves on the Energy and Commerce and Judiciary committees and has sponsored five enacted bills, including the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
John Vincent. Publishes priorities on affordability, jobs, health care and veterans, and a balanced budget, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Russell Fry. Offers an e-newsletter and issue pages, and held in-person 'Freedom Hour' events in 2025. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, The Sun News via Yahoo News, April 11, 2025, Ballotpedia, Russell Fry
John Vincent. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025 and publishes issue priorities.
Sources: Ballotpedia, John Vincent, Campaign site, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Russell Fry. Born in Surfside Beach, graduated from Socastee High School and lives in Murrells Inlet, all in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 64 percent of itemized individual contributions from South Carolina.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Russell Fry, FEC contribution totals by state
John Vincent. Has lived in Myrtle Beach since about 2023. FEC by-state totals show about 85 percent of itemized individual contributions from South Carolina.
Sources: SC Daily Gazette via Yahoo News, Jan. 1, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Russell Fry. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
John Vincent. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Russell Fry. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.291 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.190, meets expectations. Sponsored bills enacted include the Grant Transparency Act (2024) and the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (2026).
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 5536 (118th Congress), GovTrack, H.R. 4323 (119th Congress)
John Vincent. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Russell Fry. Missed 10 of 1,917 roll call votes, 0.5 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
John Vincent. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Russell Fry. Lists district offices in Surfside Beach and Florence and offers mobile office hours. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, offices, Office site, mobile office hours
John Vincent. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Russell Fry. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.64321 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 251 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
John Vincent. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Russell Fry. No public record found.
John Vincent. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in South Carolina's 7th Congressional District?
Russell Fry has the strongest record in South Carolina's 7th Congressional District. Russell Fry scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of John Vincent at 50, as of October 9, 2026. Russell Fry's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in South Carolina's 7th Congressional District in 2026?
Russell Fry (Republican, incumbent), John Vincent (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Russell Fry a good candidate for Congress?
Russell Fry scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is John Vincent a good candidate for Congress?
John Vincent scores 50 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 50 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every South Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the South Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.