Spartanburg Solicitor has Record, Name Recognition

Harold W. “Trey” Gowdy. ~ Photo by Bob Dill

The Fourth Congressional District candidacy of Republican Harold W. “Trey” Gowdy got a boost, at least in Greenville County, from the withdrawal from the race and strong endorsement by Andrew Smart. Smart was one of four individuals who had announced their intentions of challenging incumbent Congressman Bob Inglis in the 2010 Fourth Congressional District Republican Primary prior to the entry of Gowdy. The remaining announced Republican challengers are Mauldin business owner Jim Lee, Spartanburg professor Christine Jeffrey and State Senator David Thomas who represents senate District 8 in Greenville County. Attorney and former Greenville County Republican Party Chairman Stephen Brown, who considered entering the race, will likely stand down now that Gowdy has tossed his hat in the race.

Inglis was a very popular congressman during his first three terms, however, in recent years many of his more conservative supporters have complained that he has changed, lost touch with his base constituents, and no longer deserves their support.

With his wife Mary Ann serving as his campaign manager, and a core of devoted supporters, Inglis has had no trouble defeating Republican and Democrat opponents in the last two election cycles. Trey Gowdy could change the dynamics in 2010.

As a successful high profile solicitor in the 7th Circuit that includes Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties for almost a decade, Gowdy has a public record of accomplishments and name recognition, both of which will serve him well in a congressional campaign against less well known individuals as well as an entrenched and well financed incumbent.

Gowdy was elected 7th Circuit Solicitor in November of 2000. He defeated a 16 year Republican incumbent and had no opposition in the General Election. It was his first attempt at public office.

Since becoming Solicitor, Gowdy and his staff have reduced the backlog of criminal cases in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties by over 40 percent. He has successfully prosecuted defendants in state court for murder, rape, assault and battery with intent to kill, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and disturbing schools.

The Solicitor’s Office is committed to stopping crime before it happens. They have established a drug court that aggressively helps addicts break the cycles of addiction and crime. They created a Pre-Trial intervention Program for certain offenders and a Violent Crimes Task Force that prosecutes the worst in terms of violent and potentially violent defendants.

Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Gowdy worked as a law clerk for U. S. District Court Judge G, Ross Anderson, Jr.

Prior to running for Circuit Solicitor, Gowdy was a successful federal prosecutor. In 1977, he prosecuted the first federal murder case in the Upstate of South Carolina in over a quarter century.

Gowdy was born in Greenville and is a 1982 graduate of Spartanburg High School, a 1986 graduate of Baylor University and a 1989 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law.

He is married to Terri Dillard Gowdy and they have two children.

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