Trey Gowdy rules out run for House Speaker

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., is “not interested” in becoming the next speaker of the House, his office told McClatchy Friday.

“The Speaker’s job is an incredibly hard one, as whoever takes his place will learn,” he told the State newspaper in Columbia Friday. “He has been nothing but fair to me and particularly supportive of the Select Committee on Benghazi. I am happy that one of his final memories will be watching the Pope address an institution the Speaker loved and served for many years.”

His office said that he was not even interested in the job.

“Rep. Gowdy has said his time and attention will continue to be devoted to the work assigned to him. He is not interested in any leadership positions and believes one can have influence without the title,” said his communications director Amanda Duvall.

This echoes similar statements made last December by Gowdy, who is currently chairman of the House Benghazi Committee and chair of the House Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee. Tea Party groups have been urging him to challenge Boehner for over a year, and many took to social media after Boehner’s announcement on Friday to voice their support.

Gowdy has not given any public indication he would be willing to challenge Boehner or take his place.

He seconded Boehner’s nomination last November, and while a flight delay forced him to miss the vote when dissatisfied lawmakers from the Speaker’s own party challenged him in January, he released a statement saying “I would have voted for our conference nominee, John Boehner.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Trey Gowdy rules out run for House Speaker."