Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC, 4th) said Wednesday that he will not run for reelection this year and that he plans to leave politics to work in the justice system.
Gowdy, who currently serves as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is a former federal prosecutor.
Gowdy is perhaps best known for his role leading the House inquiry into the 2012 attack on the US delegation in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans. Democrats decried the investigation, claiming that Republicans were using it to attack former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
Gowdy was first elected to the House in the Tea Party wave of 2010 and represents the fourth district of South Carolina, which borders North Carolina and includes Greenville and Spartanburg.
Gowdy’s committee chairmanship was not term-limited this year, and his district will likely elect another Republican in the fall.
