Poll shows Trey Gowdy surprisingly leading SC Senate race despite disinterest

Gowdy has said he's not interested. But the poll suggests he would lead a crowded field, which includes the Trump-endorsed Darline Graham, for late Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat.

By Samuel Benson 07/21/2026 03:47 PM EDT

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy insists he’s not interested in running in the South Carolina special election. But a new poll suggests Gowdy would be formidable if he changed his mind.

Gowdy holds a massive lead over seven other potential and declared GOP candidates for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat, according to a poll from Republican-aligned firm Peak Insights that was obtained by POLITICO.

Key Poll Findings

• Trey 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.
• Rep. Russell Fry and Sen. Darline Graham (Lindsey’s sister, appointed to serve a full term) both sit at 9 percent.
• Mark Lynch, a businessman and 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’s special election was conducted before anyone formally entered the contest.

Trump's Endorsement and Its Impact

The election will be a test of Trump’s power. He endorsed Darline Graham last week, but that hasn’t stopped other prominent South Carolina Republicans from jumping in the race, all of them touting their loyalty to the president — despite not having his formal support.

According to the poll, his endorsement doesn’t shift things much. When respondents are informed that Trump “asked Darline Graham Nordone to run in the special election for U.S. Senate, saying if she runs, she has his complete and total endorsement”:

• Graham’s support improves from 9 percent to 16 percent.
• Gowdy falls from 38 percent to 35 percent.

Why Some Republicans Want Gowdy in the Race

The poll is a sign of why some prominent Republicans — like his longtime friend, Sen. Tim Scott — may want Gowdy in the race. Peak Insights has polled for Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), as well as the NRSC and the Republican National Committee, among many others.

Gowdy left the U.S. House in 2019 and now hosts a show on Fox News. Through a spokesperson, he said he “has not had any conversations about the open senate seat and does not have any interest in it.”

That hasn’t stopped Scott from pushing his longtime buddy to run. Scott advocated for Gowdy to be appointed to the vacant Senate seat after Lindsey Graham’s 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.

“I can’t think of a better person that I think best represents the heart of South Carolina than Trey Gowdy,” said Scott during a press conference Wednesday. “I’m trying to get him interested in it, but we’ll see if that works out at all.”

Scott and the NRSC have not yet issued an endorsement in the special election. Scott praised Graham during a Fox News interview Monday, saying she is “strong so far, calm under pressure, and really poised.”