Amanda Coyne

The Greenville News

U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-Spartanburg) declared victory in his campaign for re-election Tuesday, thanking supporters for allowing him to serve Greenville and Spartanburg counties in Congress for a fourth term. By 11:45 p.m., Gowdy led Democratic challenger Chris Fedalei by a wide margin, with the vast majority of precincts reporting.

"I am grateful for the privilege of representing the people of Greenville and Spartanburg Counties again. The Upstate of South Carolina has an unparalleled depth and breadth of assets making it an ideal place to live and work," Gowdy said in a statement. "I am incredibly fortunate to be able to represent this district in the House of Representatives.”

Fedalei said he planned to continue fighting for the causes he made a centerpiece of his campaign, criminal justice reform and veterans' care, but did not have immediate political or professional plans to announce.

At 11:45 p.m., with 85 out of 89 precincts in Spartanburg County reporting results, Gowdy had 70 percent of the votes. In Greenville county, with 98 percent of precincts reporting, Gowdy had about 66 percent of the vote and Fedalei had about 32 percent. Constitution Party candidate Michael Chandler had about 2 percent of the vote.

Addressing students at Bob Jones University earlier in the evening, Gowdy said his priorities in the house would be combining the oversight and appropriations functions of the legislative branch in order to ensure efficient government spending and operations.

"The legislative branch needs to stand up for itself," Gowdy said. "It was supposed to be the most powerful of the three. Now, it's the weakest."

The House will continue to have a Republican majority, setting the path for Gowdy to continue chairing committees. He currently chairs the Select Committee on Benghazi and the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. Gowdy has said previously that he does not plan on seeking a leadership position in the House and enjoys committee work. Some Republican members had urged him to run for Speaker of the House when Speaker John Boehner announced his retirement, but Gowdy declined.