All-SC presidential ticket? GOP hopeful Scott name drops friend Gowdy as possible running mate

Former GOP Congressman Trey Gowdy of Spartanburg was named by Republican presidential candidate and longtime friend Tim Scott as a possible running mate, according to multiple news reports.

At a campaign event in New Hampshire Wednesday, Scott was asked who he would consider for the second spot on the GOP ticket if he wins the nomination.

He mentioned fellow South Carolinian Gowdy, outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national director of intelligence John Ratcliffe. In July, Scott also name-dropped Gowdy as a potential FBI director if he wins the nomination and the White House.

Gowdy could not immediately be reached Thursday morning.

Curt Smith, chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party, said he doubts Gowdy — who has a weekly TV spot on Fox News — would accept the spot if offered.

"Trey is happy with what he's doing," Smith said. "They're good friends and he'd be an excellent one, but I don't believe he would want to get back into politics."

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Barry Wynn of Spartanburg, former chairman of the South Carolina GOP, agreed.

"I think Tim's mentioning of Trey was more about the kind of person he would want to pick as vice president than Trey specifically," Wynn said. "His admiration for Trey means it would be someone with the same characteristics and philosophy."

Besides, Wynn said he believes the Constitution forbids a president and vice president being from the same state.

The 12th Amendment states, "The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves …"

Scott, 58, has served as the junior Republican senator from South Carolina since 2013. Prior to that, he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives. He also served as a city councilor in Charleston, S.C.

Gowdy served as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2019. His district included much of the Upstate region of South Carolina, including Greenville and Spartanburg.

Prior to his congressional career, Gowdy served as a federal prosecutor in the District of South Carolina from 1994 to 2000 and then as the solicitor (district attorney) for South Carolina's Seventh Judicial Circuit, comprising Spartanburg and Cherokee counties from 2000 to 2010.

In 2018, Gowdy announced he would not seek re-election. After leaving office, he joined the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, and also joined Fox News as a contributor.

Scott and Gowdy, 59, are longtime friends.

In 2018, Gowdy and Scott co-wrote, "Unified: How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country."In the book, Gowdy describes how different races, life experiences, and pathways can lead to a deep friendship — even in a state that was rocked to its core by the 2015 Charleston church shooting, according to the book's overview.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Scott says Spartanburg's Gowdy could be considered as running mate, VP