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Republican

Trey Gowdy

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina

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Republican

Trey Gowdy

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina

Website

South Carolina Republican Senate special primary winner?

$18.1M

AUG 27, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Live Odds — South Carolina Republican Senate special primary winner?

Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.

0%chance to win

$18.1M

AUG 27, 2026

Candidate Overview

Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.

Current roleAttorney

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyConservative Republican

Age62 years old (Aug 22, 1964)

GenderMale

LocationSouth Carolina

BackgroundAttorney

EducationB.A., History, Baylor University (1986)

Notable personal detailsHarold Watson "Trey" Gowdy III is an American attorney, former federal prosecutor, and former U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s 4th congressional district (2011–2019). He previously served as solicitor (district attorney) for South Carolina’s Seventh Judicial Circuit (2001–2010) and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of South Carolina (1994–2000). After leaving Congress, he became a Fox News contributor and hosts "Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy" and "The Trey Gowdy Podcast."

SourcesShow

history.house.gov treygowdy.com foxnews.com wikidata.org greenvillerotary.org en.wikipedia.org govinfo.gov query.wikidata.org wd-vectordb.wmcloud.org biographytree.com en.wikiquote.org cruz.senate.gov arxiv.org thefamouspeople.com billygraham.org ase.org federal-lawyer.com democrats-intelligence.house.gov counseling.org congress.gov lgraham.senate.gov wbur.org transcripts.cnn.com ontheissues.org lcv.org cbsnews.com voteview.com washingtonpost.com radio.foxnews.com static.foxnews.com money.cnn.com booknotes.c-span.org politico.com nymag.com greenvilleonline.com federalnewsnetwork.com eciks.org fortune.com washingtonexaminer.com thehill.com deseret.com mycharisma.com fox.com nytimes.com facebook.com instagram.com cdn.ballotpedia.org data.ballotpedia.org cba.ballotpedia.org bioguide.congress.gov zh.wikipedia.org fr.wikipedia.org de.wikipedia.org

Political Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports lower tax rates, revenue-neutral tax reform, and a simpler tax code. Opposes using tax increases to fund spending and frames Washington’s fiscal problem as spending rather than revenue.

Healthcare

Trey Gowdy supported giving states the ability to opt out of major Affordable Care Act mandates and described the law as unworkable. He also voted to repeal the ACA, while later characterizing some repeal votes as symbolic.

Immigration & Border

Trey Gowdy has emphasized that immigration reform should begin with border security and employment verification, and he has argued that the country needs to know who is entering the United States. His congressional work also focused on tougher asylum standards, reducing asylum fraud, and expediting removal in immigration cases.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Trey Gowdy’s documented position is pro-life and supports restricting abortion. His publicly described stance allows exceptions for rape, incest, and when the pregnant woman’s life is in danger, and he has backed measures to block federal funding for abortion providers.

Climate & Energy

Supports expanded fossil fuel development and opposed EPA regulation of greenhouse gases. Also signed the No Climate Tax Pledge and was rated very low on environmental scorecards for his congressional voting record.

Public Safety & Guns

Trey Gowdy has supported keeping and bearing arms while also saying mass-shooting responses should examine the shooter and the weapon involved. He said he was open to getting rid of bump stocks and other devices that convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic one, and described the issue as partly an enforcement problem.

Latest News

AINews Summary

Last updatedSep 2, 2026

Trey Gowdy is in the news because he is being discussed as part of South Carolina’s open U.S. Senate race after Lindsey Graham’s death. The race has moved into a special election process, with a Republican primary set for August 11, a possible runoff on August 25, and early voting and absentee voting dates now announced. Recent coverage also notes a GOP debate ahead of the primary and new entrants, including former Gov. Mark Sanford, as the field takes shape.

history.house.gov+52

Articles

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