Polling Average
50%40%30%20%10%0%
38%
13%
9%
9%
7%
6%
D. Nordone
South Carolina Republican Senate special primary winner?
$2.5M
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleFormer U.S. Representative
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age61 years old (Aug 22, 1964)
GenderMale
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LocationSouth Carolina
BackgroundAttorney
EducationSpartanburg High School (1982)
Notable personal detailsHarold Watson "Trey" Gowdy III is an American attorney and former U.S. Representative from South Carolina. He served four terms in the U.S. House (2011–2019) and previously worked as a federal prosecutor. After leaving Congress, he returned to private legal practice and became a Fox News contributor and host.
SourcesShowHide
treygowdy.comgovinfo.goven.wikipedia.orgcongress.govfoxnews.combroadbiography.comfamousbirthdays.combiographyhost.combiographytree.comcommons.wikimedia.orgde.wikipedia.orgaston.oye.mlga.ek.gov.ngbirthdaywiki.comlibrary.cqpress.comprabook.comfact-wiki.comfr.wikipedia.orghhs.comstorage2.snappages.siteebook.app.hcu.edu.ghontheissues.orgjustfacts.votesmart.orgreproductivefreedomforall.orgnewstribune.comfec.govradio.foxnews.comvoterpunch.orgwaysandmeans.house.govfinance.senate.govhome.treasury.govclerk.house.govprojects.propublica.orgfordlibrarymuseum.govfreedomindex.usafge.orgpolitico.comfortune.comvirginiamercury.comfederalnewsnetwork.comgreenvilleonline.comthehill.comfitsnews.comnewsweek.comwric.comnymag.comstraitstimes.comuk.news.yahoo.comcaliber.azsundayguardianlive.comscdailygazette.comwashingtonexaminer.comfacebook.cominstagram.comhistory.house.govdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgsubstack.govtrack.uslegislation.ballotpedia.orgoversight.house.govcdn.ballotpedia.orgit.wikipedia.orgbioguide.congress.govdata.ballotpedia.orgvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgdonate.ballotpedia.orgzh.wikipedia.org
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Supports spending restraint and a balanced-budget approach, including limiting the ability to raise taxes. Publicly documented positions also include backing tax reform and a constitutional balanced budget amendment.
Healthcare
Trey Gowdy supported repealing the Affordable Care Act and described it as a broken law that was not working for South Carolina. He also voted for the American Health Care Act, the House repeal-and-replace bill that passed in 2017.
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Immigration & Border
The documented record emphasizes border security and tighter asylum enforcement. He supported stronger fraud detection, reduced asylum backlogs, and limiting repeated chances in the asylum process while still describing support for smart changes to make the system fair and timely.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Trey Gowdy has a documented pro-life record. In Congress he voted for personhood-style measures, a nationwide 20-week abortion ban, and measures to defund Planned Parenthood, and he opposed adding a health exception to the 20-week ban. He also spoke at a pro-life event and described his views as pro-life.
Climate & Energy
Publicly documented positions favor expanded fossil fuel development and limiting federal climate regulation. The record includes support for opening offshore drilling, barring EPA regulation of greenhouse gases, and signing the No Climate Tax Pledge.
Public Safety & Guns
Trey Gowdy has publicly emphasized the right to bear arms while arguing that more gun laws are not the answer unless they would actually prevent shootings. His documented congressional activity includes sponsoring a bill honoring law enforcement and being listed with legislation affirming the individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
Polls
South Carolina Republican Senate special primary winner?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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