Article Summarizing the Horry County Republican Party Convention

From the article: NORTH MYRTLE BEACH — [State and National GOP leaders, including former President Donald Trump, backed the party’s current leaders during the party’s annual convention on April 22, legitimizing the new administration after months of party infighting.

This comes during an ongoing custody battle over party property within the Horry County GOP between former Chairman Roger Slagle and current party leaders led by Chairman Reese Boyd. But talk about the split was set aside during the county part convention where U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick and local party leaders all emphasized unifying the party and working together to oppose the Democratic agenda.

“We have been devoid of leadership in this county, from a county party perspective, for too long so it is good to see a packed room,” Fry said in addressing hundreds of attending county party delegates. Fry defeated incumbent GOP congressman Tom Rice, who was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, in 2022.

Trump who is running for president in 2024, sent in a video message where he expressed support for Fry, McKissick and the Horry County GOP. CLICK HERE TO SEE PRESIDENT TURMP’s MESSAGE TO HORRY COUNTY REPUBLICANS!

“We have tremendous people that are at the convention,” Trump said in the message. “Horry County is a very special place. I hope we’re going to go out and fight very hard for our country.” Trump’s S.C. team confirmed that the former president supports McKissick and who the state party chairman has deemed the official leadership of the Horry County GOP led by Boyd, Vice Chairman Rob Visconti and State Executive Committeeman Mike Connett, who all won reelection at the convention.

McKissick said it was important to unify the party because that was the way to recruit more Republicans. “We win by adding and multiplying and at the end of the day, that’s why we’re here, to win campaigns,” McKissick said. “I’m so proud to have all of you in this room to help bring this country forward.”

Boyd emphasized moving the party forward. “We just hope that everybody will see this for what it is, which is, it is the Republican Party of Horry County,” Boyd said. “We’re going to grow the party and engage more people to get more people involved. That’s really what it’s all about.”

This comes after months of political infighting within the Horry County Republican Party, one of South Carolina’s top GOP strongholds.

In January, Boyd and his team successfully sued former leaders Slagle and two of his lieutenants, who all resigned from the county party leadership last fall, in court to reclaim $5,000 worth of party records, supplies, memorabilia and social media passwords. The reclaimed supplies included 70 folding chairs, meeting tables and a computer printer, and the memorabilia included antique yard signs, campaign posters and campaign buttons, per court documents.

That lawsuit did not include the party’s bank account — which is said to contain at least $30,000 — because the value exceeded the $7,500 limit handled in magistrate court. The party’s money largely came from membership dues and fundraising, Boyd said. “That may be a situation that we pursue in the near future,” Boyd said, regarding reclaiming custody of the party’s account. “We’ve been trying to determine how best to proceed with that.”

Slagle and his administration resigned in September over accusations that state party leaders were meddling in county party politics. Slagle tried to rescind his resignation later that month after the state party already accepted it. Slagle has since refused to step down as chairman, accusing the leaders of ousting him in a “coup.” Attempts to reach Slagle’s team for comment were unsuccessful April 22. Members of Slagle’s faction did not attend the April 22 convention. Party officials confirmed Slagle and his supporters within the GOP were allowed to attend the convention and other events.]