U.S. House of Representatives
Elections 2010 In the summer of 2009, Gowdy announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman
Bob Inglis in the Republican primary for . Despite getting a 93% lifetime rating from the
American Conservative Union, Inglis had angered the
conservative wing of the Republican Party by taking stances that were perceived to be more moderate than those he had taken when he first represented the district from 1993 to 1999; besides opposing elements in his own party on issues including climate change, he attracted attention as a member of the Judiciary Committee for providing the deciding vote that prevented a measure designed to protect the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance from coming to the House floor. Gowdy was one of several candidates in the 2010 primary who ran well to Inglis' right. Inglis had drawn five Republican challengers, including Gowdy. In the June 2010 primary, Gowdy ranked first with 39% of the vote, short of the 50% majority threshold to win outright and avoid a run-off. Inglis received 27% of the vote. Jim Lee got 14%, State Senator
David L. Thomas got 13%, and former
Historian of the United States House of Representatives Christina Jeffrey was last with 7% of the vote. In the
run-off election, Gowdy defeated Inglis 70–30%. The 4th district was considered
so heavily Republican that it was widely presumed Gowdy had clinched a seat in Congress with his primary victory. Gowdy defeated
Democratic nominee Paul Corden 63–29%.
2012 Gowdy ran for re-election to a second term against Democrat Deb Morrow. During redistricting following the 2010 census, one proposed map saw large portions of
Spartanburg County, Gowdy's home county, cut out of the district, while leaving all of Greenville County within the district. Gowdy was initially quoted as being "disappointed" with the version, even though the redrawn 4th would have been as solidly Republican as its predecessor. The final map moved a portion of Greenville County to the 3rd district while leaving almost all of Spartanburg County in the 4th district (except for a sliver that was moved to the 5th district). Gowdy was quoted as being "pleased" with this version, since Greenville and Spartanburg counties remained linked.
Roll Call rated his district as "Safe Republican" in 2012. Gowdy easily secured a second term, defeating Morrow 65–34%.
2014 Gowdy ran for re-election again in 2014. His only opponent was Libertarian Curtis E. McLaughlin. He was reelected with 85% of the popular vote.
2016 In the November 2016 election, Gowdy faced Democrat Chris Fedalei, a 26-year-old attorney. He defeated Fedalei with 67% of the vote to retain his seat.
Tenure According to
Politico during his tenure in Congress, Gowdy was "considered one of the GOP's most versatile and skilled legal experts, owing to his background as a federal prosecutor". While chairing the House Oversight Committee Gowdy tackled high-profile investigations. Rosenstein rejected the suggestion, saying the special counsel investigation should finish "appropriately". In August 2011, during the
2011 United States debt ceiling crisis, Gowdy opposed Speaker
John Boehner's
debt limit bill, and he voted against the final debt ceiling agreement. He also opposed the 2011 defense authorization bill, citing concerns about the prospect of Americans being detained without trial on national security grounds. In December 2010, he told
Congressional Quarterly that he would support a measure only if its sponsor could demonstrate that the Constitution gave the government the power to act in a particular realm. Gowdy worked on the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Gowdy frequently spoke on the floor of the House on issues ranging from
Operation Fast and Furious to his support for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. In 2012, he received the
Defender of Economic Freedom award from the fiscally conservative
501(c)4 organization
Club for Growth. The award is given to members of Congress who have the year's highest ranking, according to the Club for Growth's metrics. Gowdy scored 97 out of 100, and was one of 34 congressmen given the award. An ardent social conservative, Gowdy considers himself "pro-life plus". He not only believes "in the sanctity of life", but argued that "the strategy should be broader than waiting for the Supreme Court to revisit
Roe v. Wade." Gowdy signed the
Contract from America, which aims to defund, repeal, and replace the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, limit
United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations, enact a reform of the federal tax code, pass a
balanced budget amendment, and end
earmarks. In May 2018, Gowdy challenged President Trump's accusation saying that the FBI had spied on his 2016 presidential campaign. At a July 2018 congressional hearing, Gowdy suggested there was impropriety on behalf of FBI agent
Peter Strzok and said that Strzok had shown bias in favor of Hillary Clinton and against Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. He said that this had shaped Strzok's work for the FBI. During the hearing Gowdy repeatedly pressed Strzok about a text message saying Strzok said "we'll stop Trump". The bill would give the
United States House of Representatives and the
United States Senate the ability to sue the
President of the United States in a federal district court to clarify a federal law (that is, seek a declaratory judgment) in the event that the executive branch is not enforcing the law. House Republicans argued that the bill was necessary because the Obama Administration refused to enforce the laws. H.R. 4138 passed the House but failed to become law.
Committee assignments •
Committee on the Judiciary •
Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice •
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations (Chairman) •
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman) •
Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules •
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs •
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Caucus memberships •
Republican Study Committee == Presidential politics ==