Congressman Trey Gowdy is no stranger to hard work.
As a former District Attorney and Federal Prosecutor in South Carolina, Gowdy regularly handled difficult and complex cases. Since coming to D.C., Gowdy has made a name for himself while diligently investigating the Benghazi attack, all while developing favorable relationships with members in both the “establishment” and “conservative” wings of the Republican Party.
Now, some want Gowdy to replace John Boehner as Speaker of the House, or, if House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy wins the post, for Gowdy to take over as House Majority Leader. McCarthy also happens to be one of the “establishment” leaning members Gowdy has won over and considers a close friend.
According to Politico:
“A group of Republican lawmakers is urging South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy to run for House majority leader, a move that could scramble the race for the No. 2 slot in leadership.
At this point, public support is small. New York Rep. Lee Zeldin and Utah Rep. Mia Love have endorsed the former federal prosecutor, while Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Gowdy would be “heaven sent” as majority leader.”
Chafetz also believes Gowdy would be an ideal Speaker of the House.
“At this time and this place he would be the best person to unite our party. He’s exceptionally well liked, people trust him (and) when it comes to making the case on the floor of the House there is nobody better than Trey Gowdy,” Chaffetz said. “I don’t know he is planning to stay (in Congress) long-term and that’s part of the appeal of Trey Gowdy. Trey Gowdy is unique in his ability to bring the most conservative members together with the most moderate.”
Gowdy, along with House members like Dave Brat of Virginia and Curt Clawson of Florida, have strong support for a leadership bid from the conservative grassroots.
In a statement to Conservative Intelligence Briefing, Gowdy’s Communications Director Amanda Duvall says the South Carolina Congressman is focused on Benghazi but is grateful for the encouragement regarding the possibility of serving in leadership. House GOP members will meet tonight to talk about the issue.
“Chairman Gowdy is focused on the Benghazi Committee and will serve in that capacity so long as the Committee exists,” Duvall said. “He appreciates the confidence of his colleagues and looks forward to tonight’s Conference discussion.”
Gowdy was elected in 2010 after defeating an incumbent Congressman. Some have advocated that the new Speaker come from a recent Congressional class instead of someone who has been in D.C. for a long time.
According to Breitbart:
“I would suggest someone who’s been elected less than three times,” (Senator Rand) Paul said when asked who should replace Boehner. “I think really that we need some new blood in leadership and that would go a long way towards shaking things up. If you just go to the next person in line—which is likely to happen—then it’s just more of the same. People who stick around long enough to rise to that level are I think not strong enough to make the change that’s needed to take the fight to the president.”
