FITSNews

🧵 A few standouts from the thousands of pics I snapped this week for FITSNews as state, national and international news played out across the Palmetto State, from a historic political upset to a nationally recognized murder case once again stalling in circuit court. 📸 Andrew Fancher/@FITSNews

Alan Wilson holds his first press conference as governor-elect alongside his transition team at Reeley’s Body Shop in Columbia. (Friday, Nov. 6) 📸 Andrew Fancher/@FITSNews

Judge Heath Taylor returned to the courtroom and said that due to technical difficulties, they will need to reschedule this hearing. They apparently could not find a court reporter.

I’m in a Richland County courtroom for the expected plea hearing of Alexander Dickey for the murder of Logan Federico. Court was scheduled to begin at 9 am, but there has been a brief delay. Unsure what has caused the delay, but after being seated, the Federico family left the courtroom to speak with the prosecutors. @fitsnews

South Carolina and Indiana Republicans drew 7-0 and 9-0 maps that never passed. In 2026, both would have backfired SC: 4R-3D on the House vote vs 5R-2D on the current map IN: Bayh (D) carried all 9 proposed districts for SoS. Dems won 3 seats on the current map @DecisionDeskHQ

SCFC Response to the 2026 General Election

Everybody this week: “Wow, @RonDeSantis was right all along. He looks really good for 2028!” Me in 2024:

It’s a beautiful night in the @CityofColumbia

Is this better?

November 3 , 2026 will be a dark day for Republicans. South Carolina, a traditionally ruby red state, was no exception. Rather than looking to place blame, there are a few broad lessons we should learn as Republicans: 1) The Democrats stick together in the general. We do not. It is time we learned that all in-fighting between Republicans must end with the primary. Whether our favorite Republican prevails or not, we need to unite behind the primary winner, recognizing that the alternative is usually far worse. Republicans cannot seem to let go of our primary grievances and unite and that is fatal. This will cost us not for the next 2 years but probably for most of the next decade. 2 ) The Dems were always the ones who were nasty and hateful. For some reason, we believe that behavior is worth emulating. So we try to out-nasty the other side. We forget that every day Americans are good, generous people who more than any culture in the world tend to love their neighbors. They don’t relate to the nastiness. 3) In the culture wars on the left and right, we put forward candidates who amplify those divisive messages. So, we have stopped looking for candidates who are simply good human beings. As Reagan said and we cannot forget: “ It was once said America was great because America is good. If we ever cease to be good, we will cease to be great.” 4) It is and will always be the economy, stupid. When Americans go the gas pump and get sticker shock, go to the grocery store and get sticker shock, or try to get a mortgage and get sticker shock, then the party in power will pay the price. No amount of circle talk gets around that. 5) It is time for a re-examination and a renewal. The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Gospels gave us the rule book. We chose to throw it out. The Declaration told us that our rights come from our Creator. Governments’s job is to protect our God-given rights, not rule over us. The Constitution told us that states are sovereign. The Federal government was created by the states. The Federal government is not supposed to rule over states. The Gospels taught us that we are all subservient to God and should have the humility to recognize that as human beings. It is an opportunity to accept that the people have spoken, they are unhappy with us Republicans, and we can stonewall and blame others or look at ourselves and seek ways to get better. Let’s never forget to always appeal to the good in people, not to the underbelly of humanity. God bless. Rom Reddy

Thank you Sumter! 🇺🇸