Trump-endorsed candidate ousts South Carolina GOP Rep. Tom Rice who voted for impeachment

South Carolina incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Rice lost his reelection bid Tuesday night to Trump-backed state Rep. Russell Fry in their Republican primary race.

Rice, who was seeking a sixth term, supported the impeachment of former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Building riot.

The Associated Press called the race for Fry, who had 51.1% of the vote, compared to 24.6% for Rice, with 98.4% of the vote counted in the state's 7th Congressional District race.

Rice recently said Trump is "purging" the GOP.

"He's trying to set the Republican Party up as a bunch of yes-men loyalists," said Rice, who in the closing days of his race stood behind his decision to be one of 10 congressional Republicans to vote to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 riot.