Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Former Rep. Trey Gowdy insists he\u2019s not interested in running in the South Carolina special election. But a new poll suggests Gowdy would be formidable if he changed his mind.<\/p>\n
Gowdy holds a massive lead over seven other potential and declared GOP candidates for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham\u2019s seat, according to a poll from Republican-aligned firm Peak Insights that was obtained by POLITICO<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gowdy draws 38 percent of the vote. The actual candidates in the race are bunched closely, with no clear frontrunner: Rep. Ralph Norman trails at 13 percent support, followed closely by both Rep. Russell Fry and Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey\u2019s sister who is running for a full term after being appointed, who both sit at 9 percent. Businessman Mark Lynch, a self-funder who lost a Senate primary to Graham last summer, pulls 7 percent support. The survey of 900 likely GOP primary voters for South Carolina\u2019s special election was conducted before anyone formally entered the contest.<\/p>\n The election will be a test of Trump\u2019s power. He endorsed Darline Graham last week, but that hasn\u2019t stopped other prominent South Carolina Republicans from jumping in the race, all of them touting their loyalty to the president<\/a> \u2014 despite not having his formal support.<\/p>\n And at least according to the poll, his endorsement doesn\u2019t shift things much. When respondents are informed that Trump \u201casked Darline Graham Nordone to run in the special election for U.S. Senate, saying if she runs, she has his complete and total endorsement,\u201d Graham\u2019s support improves from 9 percent to 16 percent, and Gowdy falls from 38 percent to 35 percent.<\/p>\n The poll is a sign of why some prominent Republicans \u2014 like his longtime friend, Sen. Tim Scott \u2014 may want Gowdy in the race. Peak Insights has polled for Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as the NRSC and the Republican National Committee among many others.<\/p>\n Gowdy left the U.S. House in 2019 and now hosts a show on Fox News. Through a spokesperson, he said he \u201chas not had any conversations about the open senate seat and does not have any interest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n That hasn\u2019t stopped Scott from pushing his longtime buddy to run. Scott advocated for Gowdy to be appointed<\/a> to the vacant Senate seat after Lindsey Graham\u2019s death, before South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to the seat. Scott announced last week he was recruiting Gowdy to run in the special election, before Graham announced she would run.<\/p>\n \u201cI can’t think of a better person that I think best represents the heart of South Carolina than Trey Gowdy,\u201d said Scott during a press conference Wednesday. \u201cI’m trying to get him interested in it, but we’ll see if that works out at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Scott and the NRSC have not yet issued an endorsement in the special election. Scott praised Graham during a Fox News interview<\/a> Monday, saying she is \u201cstrong so far, calm under pressure, and really poised.\u201d<\/p>\n