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South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy announced Wednesday he will not be running for re-election.
The Republican lawmaker, first elected to the 4th District in 2010, chairs the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
“I will not be filing for re-election to Congress nor seeking any other political or elected office; instead I will be returning to the justice system,” Gowdy said in a statement.
“Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress, and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system. As I look back on my career, it is the jobs that both seek and reward fairness that are most rewarding,” he added.
“There is no perfect time to make this announcement, but with filing opening in six weeks, it is important to give the women and men in South Carolina who might be interested in serving ample time to reflect on the decision,” Gowdy said.
Sen. Tim Scott's statement:
“I want to thank Trey not just for his service to the Upstate, or his love for South Carolina, or his commitment to justice and the truth, but for being the honest, good hearted man I know he is and will continue to be. He has always put the people of Greenville-Spartanburg first, despite his Congressional responsibilities grabbing so many national headlines.
"I am so happy for the Gowdy family, as I know they will be thrilled to have Trey back home more often, and for Trey because of everything he has accomplished in Congress. I know for him this is simply the end of one chapter in a long book, and I am forever grateful for the friendship we have forged over the past eight years.”
Jeff Duncan’s (District 3) statement:
“Trey has been a great friend and colleague since we first came to the House together back in 2011, and his retirement from Congress is a blow to the entire institution. Trey is an enormously talented interrogator and jurist who has helped reinvigorate the critically important oversight responsibilities of the legislative branch. He is the very embodiment of fairness and thoughtful deliberation. Trey will be missed both by the South Carolina delegation and by his constituents in the Upstate whom he served with great distinction. However, I know Trey will be just as successful and impactful in his next endeavor.”