GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy said Wednesday [1-31-18] he is not running for re-election and plans to leave politics.
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, issued a statement saying he planned to retire from Congress at the end of this term and would return to working in the justice system… Gowdy’s announcement makes him the latest Republican committee chairman to announce retirement ahead of midterm elections that are seeing a spike in Republicans headed for the exit. Unlike many other members, however, Gowdy was not facing a difficult re-election campaign in 2018.
Gowdy, who was first elected in 2010 after ousting former Rep. Bob Inglis, became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last year after Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz left Congress.
The South Carolina Republican earned conservative plaudits and national recognition as a chief investigator in the House, most famously helming the House probe into the 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Democrats lambasted the investigation, accusing Republicans of using it to attack former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Gowdy’s retirement is unlikely to have an effect on the balance of power in the GOP-controlled House. President Donald Trump and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney won the 4th Congressional District by more than 20 points in their respective elections, and it is almost certain to remain in GOP hands.
In a statement released shortly after Gowdy’s announcement, the National Republican Congressional Committee praised the congressman and expressed confidence the GOP would retain control of the district.”
-Jeremy Herb and Eli Watkins, “Rep. Trey Gowdy not seeking re-election,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Jan. 31, 2018 01:58pm