South Carolina conservatives are signaling that they want Trey Gowdy back in Washington, even if the man himself insists he has no interest in returning.
The former Republican congressman, who represented the state in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2019, now hosts a program on Fox News and has repeatedly shown no appetite for reentering elective politics, according to Western Journal. Yet a new survey suggests grassroots Republicans see him as their top choice to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the recent death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Trey would be an amazing senator for South Carolina, GOP Sen. Tim Scott said recently, according to Fox News. Participants in a poll from Peak Insights appeared to agree, as reported by Politico, underscoring the enduring appeal of a lawmaker known for his tough oversight work and no-nonsense style.
With the Aug. 11 Republican primary approaching for Grahams now-open seat, Gowdy dominated the field with 38 percent support in the Peak Insights poll. His closest competitor, Rep. Ralph Norman, registered just 13 percent, while Rep. Russell Fry and Sen. Darline Graham Nordone each drew 9 percent support.
Businessman Mark Lynch followed with 7 percent, and outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace a frequent critic of the conservative base and of President Donald Trump trailed at 6 percent. The survey of 900 voters carried a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, indicating that even at the outer edges of that range, Gowdy would still hold a commanding lead.
Nordone, the late senators sister, was appointed to complete her brothers unexpired term and has quickly become a favorite of the America First movement. President Donald Trump has said that he is supporting her to be elected to a full six-year term, reinforcing his continued influence over Republican primaries in the Palmetto State and nationwide.
The poll also tested how Trumps endorsement might reshape the race, asking respondents how they would vote knowing he is backing Nordone. Even with that information, Gowdy remained on top with 35 percent support, while Nordone gained seven points to reach 16 percent, solidly in second place but still far behind the former congressman.
In response to the survey, a Gowdy representative reiterated that the Fox News host is not a candidate and does not plan to become one.
He has not had any conversations about the open Senate seat and does not have any interest in it, the representative said, leaving conservatives torn between their preferred choice and the reality of his reluctance.
President Trump, meanwhile, has gone all-in for Nordone, using his Truth Social platform to rally support among loyal Republicans.
In a recent post, he called Nordone a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot.
Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina, Trump wrote, tying her candidacy directly to her brothers legacy of service. Trump wrote that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey.
Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, Trump posted, signaling to primary voters exactly where he stands. For now, the race reflects a familiar dynamic in the Trump era: a conservative electorate that still reveres a tough-talking outsider like Gowdy, even as the Presidents Complete and Total Endorsement of Nordone could ultimately prove decisive in determining who carries South Carolinas Republican banner into the general election.
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