Rep. Trey Gowdy, the fiery chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, is a likely candidate for House majority leader, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday.
Gowdy, R-S.C., said he would jump into the race if his fellow lawmakers want him to do it, and several GOP members are aggressively recruiting him.
“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 like Trey Gowdy,” said House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. “It’s something that a lot of people have approached Trey Gowdy about. It’s something he’s open to. Trey Gowdy is unique in being able to bring the most conservative members together with the most moderate.”
Chaffetz said “a lot of people” are backing Gowdy.
If Gowdy jumps in, he would run against Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Budget Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga.
Gowdy’s chief recruiter is Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, who told reporters she is confident he’ll jump into the race.
“He is the kind of smart fighter our country needs and the American people deserve,” Love said. “With impressive communication skills, genuine compassion and the tenacity of a prosecutor, he will unite the party and the people around a truly American agenda.”
Gowdy heads the House investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The probe has unearthed a private email server Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton used while serving as secretary of state.
