STATE REP. JOINS CROWDED GOP FIELD TO REPLACE BARRETT

The much-anticipated news that State Rep. Rex Rice (R-Pickens) is running for Congress came Friday in the form of a three city announcement in South Carolina’s third district.

“Like you, I am tired of federal bureaucrats in Washington making it harder and harder to seek the American dream,” Rice said Friday. “Our national debt is $13 Trillion Dollars and the more Barack Obama and the liberals in Washington spend – the more they steal from our children and our children’s future.”

Rice is campaigning for the seat left vacant by Congressman Gresham Barrett, who is running for governor. But he won’t be alone in the field.

Other likely Republican candidates include State Reps. Jeff Duncan of Laurens and Michael Thompson of Anderson, as well as Sen. Shane Massey of Aiken.

Rice’s platform is built around instituting the Fair Tax and fighting for fiscal responsibility in government.

He recently introduced legislation that would require Gov. Mark Sanford and the General Assembly to work together in generating $350 Million in savings to reduce the state’s debt.

Rice has represented parts of Pickens and Greenville counties for 15 years in the state House.