Democratic congressional candidate John Gregory Vincent attended an NAACP-sponsored forum in Pawley’s Island, SC, on October 13, 2026. His opponent, Rep. Russell Fry, did not attend, leaving his place at the table empty.Republican Congressman skips NAACP candidate forum as Democratic challenger John Vincent takes questions from more than 300 attendees.
By Bob Gatty
Being a chicken and arrogant at the same time is hardly an admirable combination, especially for someone entrusted with representing hundreds of thousands of Americans in Congress.
Yet that is the impression Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC-7) eft Tuesday night when he failed to appear at an NAACP-sponsored candidate forum with Democratic nominee John Gregory Vincent, a retired Navy master chief and small business owner who has been campaigning hard for the past 18 months to unseat Fry.
Vincent showed up at the event in Pawley’s Island, SC. So did more than 300 people who came to hear from the candidates.
Fry’s chair remained empty.
Worse than his absence, however, was the dismissive way it was handled. According to forum organizers, Fry did not attend and instead had an aide send a letter saying the congressman appreciated the invitation but could not be there.
That raises a fair question: What message does it send when a member of Congress declines to appear before voters at a public forum sponsored by the local NAACP?
Meanwhile, just yesterday, a Fry supporter circulated a doctored graphic promoting the forum that used Fry’s photo but identified Vincent with the picture of an African American man. Whether intended as a crude racial jab or not, the message was unmistakable and ugly — especially in a deeply conservative area where racial politics still too often lurk just beneath the surface. And as of this writing, there has been no disclaimer from the Fry campaign.
An Empty Chair
But to John Vincent’s credit, he did not stand there and debate an empty chair, which he easily could have done. It would have been entertaining, to be sure, but Vincent is classier than that. He did, however, call out Fry for being Trump’s errand boy and boot licker (not his words), and for supporting the very policies that have led to the affordability crisis facing working families today.
$4+ gas
$6+ diesel
Skyrocketing grocery bills
On and on.
For nearly an hour, Vincent took questions from the moderator and then from many in the audience of more than 300 people, most of whom applauded his answers . He promised to hold regular town meetings (which Fry has never done) — and discussed his proposal to return solvency to Social Security and support policies to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Regarding Social Security, Vincent warned that unless action is taken, recipients will face sharp cuts in the years ahead. To solve that problem, he simply recommended ending the Social Security income tax cap of $184,000 — a move he says would keep the program solvent for decades to come.
It was an impressive performance, one that demonstrated his. willingness to show up, listen and engage — and his commitment to serve the people of the 7th District, regardless of party.
What a concept.
As for Fry, he gave up an opportunity to explain his record, defend his positions and answer questions from the people he represents. Instead, he left behind an empty chair.
And that empty chair spoke volumes.
Vincent has appeared on my Lean to the Left podcast twice and his story hasn’t changed since those appearances. Here’s the latest episode, if you’d like to know more.
One Response
It was worse than just having an aide send a message: At least six times since the beginning of September, the NAACP tried contacting Fry, and there was never a response—until the day of the forum. The excuse was that the Congressman had a scheduling conflict. First, what could be more important than meeting with his constituents? And second, surely he knew he had a “scheduling conflict” well before that day…otherwise, there would have been no conflict.
Mr. Vincent was very impressive. He responded to every question with his positions, without hesitation. He obviously knows what he’s talking about, so you could tell he has researched the issues facing the people of the 7th Congressional District. I will be proud to vote for John Vincent for Congress!