Fiscally liberal “Republican” congressman Tom Rice has drawn a primary opponent in the race for South Carolina’s seventh congressional district.
Florence, S.C. native Steve Williams will challenge the three-term incumbent in next June’s partisan primary election, according to his campaign’s Facebook page. Williams, 37, is a printing executive. He previously worked for ESPN after a broadcast journalism stint in Norfolk, Virginia.
“I’m excited to be running against Tom Rice,” Williams wrote in announcing his candidacy. “It’s time for change – fresh leadership and better solutions for Horry, Florence, Georgetown, Marion, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Darlington and Dillon counties!”
Hmmm … better solutions?
It’s curious, then, that Williams first major policy pronouncement was to pledge his support for Interstate 73 – a totally unnecessary transportation boondoggle that Rice has been pushing ever since he arrived in Washington, D.C.
“I won’t stop until this project is complete and people are driving on this road,” Rice said this spring after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a key permit for the costly construction project – which has already cost state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
Perhaps Williams doesn’t think Rice has been lobbying hard enough for this road?
We will obviously keep an open mind when it comes to this race, but if Williams goal was to differentiate himself from the scandal-scarred incumbent – who has one of the worst voting records of any “Republican” in Congress – he’s off to a bad start.
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