As much as Republicans from South Carolina to Washington D.C. were jolted by Rep. Trey Gowdy's announcement Wednesday that he would not seek re-election, the fear about his 4th District seat (Greenville-Spartanburg) falling into Democratic hands just isn't there.
The likelihood of South Carolina remaining in Republican hands stands in sharp contrast to the uncertainty of retention in more than half of thirty-plus seats being relinquished by Republican House incumbents this year. Two weeks before Gowdy said he was calling it quits came similar "no go" announcements from California Reps. Darrell Issa and Ed Royce and New Jersey's Rodney Frelinghuysen.
The open seats of all three are even money to become pickups by Democrats, who need to make a net gain of 24 seats for a majority in the U.S. House.
"This is a very conservative district," former State Republican Chairman Katon Dawson told Newsmax, "It is the home of the Bible Belt and Trump won it handily. And a Republican has represented the 4th in Congres since 1992."
Because congressional seats don't often become open in South Carolina, Dawson noted, "at least six to 12 Republicans are likely to run in the primary."
Local sources say the early favorite is State Rep. Dan Hamilton of Greenville, a Bob Jones University graduate who has a strong following among both evangelical conservatives as well as the "tea party."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.