Rex Rice | |
|---|---|
| Member of theSouth Carolina Senate from the 2nd district | |
| Assumed office November 14, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Larry A. Martin |
| Member of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives from the 26th district | |
| In office 1994–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Mattos |
| Succeeded by | Eric Bikas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1957-05-09)May 9, 1957 (age 68) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Anderson College University of South Carolina |
| Occupation | Politician, businessman |
Rex Fontaine Rice (born May 9, 1957) is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the senator forSouth Carolina's 2nd Senate District, a position he has held since 2016. He previously served as the representative for House District 26 in theSouth Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 to 2010. Known for hisfiscal conservatism, Rice has advocated forstate control over education and environmental issues, the repeal of theNo Child Left Behind Act, and the abolition ofincome tax in favor of increasedsales taxes. He is a member of theRepublican Party.
Rice was first elected to represent South Carolina State House District 26 in 1994.[1] He did not seek re-election in 2010, instead opting to run forSouth Carolina's 3rd Congressional District whenGresham Barrett stepped down to run forGovernor of South Carolina in the2010 election.[2]
As a house representative, Rice was a recognizedfiscal conservative.[3] He advocated for the idea that education and environment issues should beleft entirely to the states. An example of this was his advocacy for the repeal of theNo Child Left Behind Act.[4] Additionally, he argued for the abolition ofincome tax in favor of expandedregressive tax policies such as the increase ofsales tax.[5]
Rice has represented the 2nd Senate District (parts of Pickens County) since 2016, when he defeated longtime incumbentLarry Martin during the Republican primary.
As of April 2024[update], Rice serves on the Corrections and Penology Committee, the Education Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, and the Transportation Committee.[1]
Since 2022, he has opposed efforts to pass ahate crime bill in South Carolina.[6]
In February 2023, he filed a resolution tolimit congressional terms.[7] This would make South Carolina one of 34 states that would need to call anational convention to amend theUS Constitution.
In November 2023, he sponsored Constitutional Carry legislation to relaxgun control laws by lowering the age of carrying ahandgun and getting rid of requiring permits, training, and background checks.[8]
As a Senator, Rice has supported anear-total ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest.[9][10] Instead, he supports exceptions only in cases where a mother's life might be at risk.[11]
Rice tried (and failed) to unseat Larry Martin in 2012. In 2016, when Rice re-challenged Martin, the Republican primary became highlycontentious. During the run-off,dark money ad donors fundedattack ads against Martin, though Rice denied any role in their funding.[12]
Rice lives inEasley, South Carolina with his wife Ruth. He owns a construction company.[3] He isPresbyterian. He graduated fromAnderson University and theUniversity of South Carolina.[1]
| Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Rice | Result | Swing | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ±% | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | S.C. Representative | General | Republican | Jim Mattos[a] | Democratic | 3,594 | 46.01% | 2nd | N/A | Lost | Hold | [13] | ||||
| 1994 | General | Republican | Jim Mattos[a] | Democratic | 3,409 | 53.74% | 1st | +7.73% | Won | Gain | [14] | |||||
| 1996 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 5,269 | 100.00% | 1st | +46.26% | Won | Hold | [15] | |||||
| 1998 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 5,508 | 98.48% | 1st | -1.52% | Won | Hold | [16] | |||||
| 2000 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 6,868 | 98.52% | 1st | +0.04% | Won | Hold | [17] | |||||
| 2002 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 5,823 | 98.56% | 1st | +0.04% | Won | Hold | [18] | |||||
| 2004 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 8,360 | 99.57% | 1st | +1.01% | Won | Hold | [19] | |||||
| 2006 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 5,685 | 99.37% | 1st | -0.20% | Won | Hold | [20] | |||||
| 2008 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 9,371 | 99.17% | 1st | -0.20% | Won | Hold | [21][22] | |||||
| 2010 | U.S. Representative | Rep. primary | Republican | Jeff Duncan | Republican | 16,071 | 19.47% | 3rd | N/A | Lost | N/A | [2][23][24][25] | ||||
| 2012 | S.C. Senator | General | Petition | Larry A. Martin[a] | Republican | 13,164 | 35.31% | 2nd | N/A | Lost | Hold | [26][27][28] | ||||
| 2016 | Rep. primary | Republican | Larry A. Martin[a] | Republican | 4,641 | 33.30% | 2nd | N/A | Runoff | N/A | [29] | |||||
| Rep. primary runoff | Republican | Larry A. Martin[a] | Republican | 6,022 | 54.21% | 1st | N/A | Won | N/A | [23][30][31][32][33] | ||||||
| General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 36,944 | 98.64% | 1st | N/A | Won | Hold | [34] | ||||||
| 2020 | General | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 44,116 | 98.10% | 1st | -0.54% | Won | Hold | [35] | |||||
| South Carolina House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives from the 26th district 1994–2010 | Succeeded by |
| South Carolina Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theSouth Carolina Senate from the 2nd district 2016–present | Incumbent |
