It’s the gavel that no one wants.

Not a single GOP lawmaker has launched a bid to replace retiring Rep. Trey Gowdy Harold (Trey) Watson GowdyOvernight Energy: Dems ask Pruitt to justify first-class travel | Obama EPA chief says reg rollback won't stand | Ex-adviser expects Trump to eventually rejoin Paris accord Overnight Regulation: Trump to take steps to ban bump stocks | Trump eases rules on insurance sold outside of ObamaCare | FCC to officially rescind net neutrality Thursday | Obama EPA chief: Reg rollback won't stand GOP lawmakers: Obama admin ‘hastily’ wrote lead ammunition ban MORE (R-S.C.) as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the panel with investigatory powers over the Trump administration.

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The lack of interest in the gavel underscores how politically tricky and toxic many Republicans view the job.

Most Republicans have no desire to lead a committee whose central charge would be investigating a Republican administration — particularly one led by the volatile President Trump Donald John TrumpAccuser says Trump should be afraid of the truth Woman behind pro-Trump Facebook page denies being influenced by Russians Shulkin says he has White House approval to root out 'subversion' at VA MORE, who strikes back fiercely at critics.

Former Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz Jason ChaffetzTrump, GOP at new crossroads on deficit Chaffetz: Spending vote means GOP 'lost every single bit of credibility' on debt Let’s not fail in our second chance to protect Bears Ears MORE (R-Utah) decided shortly after Trump took office it was better for him to quit Congress than to face pressure to investigate a Republican-run White House. Now Gowdy, less than a year into his chairmanship, is following Chaffetz out the door.

No one is throwing their hat in the ring for Gowdy’s chairmanship “probably because it’s a Republican president,” conceded Rep. Dennis Ross Dennis Alan RossHouse Dem opposition mounts to budget deal Overnight Finance: Senate leaders agree to two-year budget deal | Fiscal hawks revolt | Pelosi wants assurances on immigration | Trump calls stock sell-off a 'big mistake' | Lawmakers push Trump to preserve NAFTA Right revolts on budget deal MORE (R-Fla.), a member of the panel.

When pressed by The Hill, Ross, a senior deputy whip who’s close to leadership, said he would “seriously consider” a bid for Oversight chairman given Gowdy’s decision to leave Congress.

But until now, Ross had not publicly discussed his plans and has not made any final decisions. The Florida Republican also seemed to suggest that, as chairman, he would be more focused on the “government reform” aspect of the committee rather than launching high-profile congressional probes into the Trump administration.

“We’ve got a lot of reforms we need to address, including postal reform. Postal is something that needs to be taken care of. I chaired that subcommittee six years ago,” Ross said in an interview just off the House floor. “You don’t have to always have investigative hearings, [though] that’s a component of it.”

After Chaffetz resigned from Congress last summer, Rep. Steve Russell Steven (Steve) Dane RussellHouse Oversight Committee opens probe into sexual abuse of gymnasts WATCH: 'Accidents can happen,' GOP rep says about possible shutdown WATCH: GOP rep says Trump and media need to ‘call a truce’ MORE (R-Okla.) unsuccessfully challenged the better-known Gowdy for the Oversight gavel. When contacted by The Hill, Russell said in a statement he “remain[s] interested in the chairmanship,” though he is low on the seniority food chain and appears to be hanging back for now.

The two most senior members of the committee — former Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa Darrell Edward IssaCalifornia Hispanics, even Republicans, are primed to make history House rejects effort to condemn lawmaker for demanding 'Dreamer' arrests Hispanic Dems seek vote to condemn GOP lawmaker for demanding arrests of 'Dreamers' MORE (R-Calif.) and Rep. John Duncan John James DuncanTennessee GOP lawmaker under review by Ethics Committee Democrats have open door amid wave of Republican retirements Overnight Cybersecurity: Apple issues fix for Mac security flaw | House Intel panel to push own surveillance bill | Justices struggle with privacy of cellphone data MORE Jr. (R-Tenn.) — are not running for reelection. GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantisDem Fla. gubernatorial hopeful in ad: Shooting is a 'wake-up call' House passes landmark bill to overhaul sexual harassment policy on Capitol Hill Conservatives call for end to taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements MORE is running for Florida governor this cycle.

And a former member of leadership, Rep. Virginia Foxx Virginia Ann FoxxHouse Dems call for first Education Committee hearing on school shootings since Sandy Hook House Oversight Committee opens probe into sexual abuse of gymnasts Students drowning in debt bewildered by claims college is a 'hammock' MORE (R-N.C.), said she has no desire to trade her Education and the Workforce Committee gavel for the Oversight one.

“No!” Foxx replied, before chuckling at the suggestion.

When recently asked by The Hill who is running to replace him, Gowdy stopped outside the House chamber and paused for a moment.

“I don’t know who is,” he said. “I haven’t heard anyone announced. If they have, I have not heard it.”

Gowdy cautioned that the race is “still so far off” and that it’s unknown whether the GOP will even hang on to the majority, which he thought could be deterring folks from throwing their hats into the ring so early — though that clearly hasn’t stopped members from vying for the House Appropriations Committee gavel that’s also up for grabs next cycle.

During his short, eight-month stint atop the panel, Gowdy has decided against holding Oversight hearings into possible Russian collusion with the Trump campaign or the series of scandals that have beset Trump’s Cabinet.

Just two weeks after his stunning announcement he was done with Congress, however, Gowdy appeared on CNN to say his committee had just opened a congressional probe into the FBI’s security clearance process and why former White House aide Rob Porter had kept his job after his two ex-wives accused him of domestic violence.

Gowdy, 53, a former federal prosecutor, said he was leaving Congress because he misses the justice system and likes “jobs where facts matter” and “where fairness matters.”

Members of the powerful Republican Steering Committee — a 32-person panel comprising Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanRepublicans are avoiding gun talks as election looms The Hill's 12:30 Report Flake to try to force vote on DACA stopgap plan MORE (R-Wis.), leadership allies and regional representatives — will select a new slate of GOP committee chairs after the 2018 midterm elections. (The Steering Committee will pick ranking members in the event that Republicans lose control of the House.)

But, so far, Steering Committee members said they’ve received no phone calls or text messages from potential candidates lobbying for the job.

“I haven’t heard from anyone,” said one Steering Committee member.

Republicans are making a much more aggressive play for the Appropriations Committee gavel, which carries enormous influence over how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are spent each year.

On Jan. 29, the day Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen Rodney Procter FrelinghuysenExiting lawmakers put in calls to K Street Ex-New York Jets lineman mulling run for House SEC paperless mandate a bad deal for rural, elderly investors MORE (R-N.J.) said he would leave Congress right in the middle of his tenure, a trio of Republicans — Reps. Robert Aderholt Robert Brown AderholtOvernight Finance: House Appropriations chair to retire | Exit sets off fight for gavel | GOP banks on tax cuts to help in midterms | Crypto exchange under scrutiny after theft | Conservatives push Trump on capital gains taxes House retirement sets off scramble for coveted chairmanship The Hill's 12:30 Report MORE (R-Ala.), Kay Granger Norvell (Kay) Kay GrangerOvernight Defense: House passes defense spending bill in symbolic vote | Official resigns, worker fired for Hawaii fake missile alert | General says US would have 'minutes' of warning time after N. Korea launch House passes defense spending bill in symbolic vote Overnight Finance: House Appropriations chair to retire | Exit sets off fight for gavel | GOP banks on tax cuts to help in midterms | Crypto exchange under scrutiny after theft | Conservatives push Trump on capital gains taxes MORE (R-Texas) and Tom Cole Thomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeFlorida shooting reopens CDC gun research debate House GOP pushes hard-line immigration plan as Senate deals fail Speculation swirls about Kevin McCarthy’s future MORE (R-Okla.) — quickly launched campaigns to replace him.

A fourth, Rep. Mike Simpson MIchael (Mike) Keith SimpsonHouse retirement sets off scramble for coveted chairmanship The Hill's 12:30 Report Even some conservatives seem open to return to earmarks MORE (R-Idaho), said that same day he was seriously thinking about joining the race. And Rep. Tom Graves John (Tom) Thomas GravesSEC paperless mandate a bad deal for rural, elderly investors Lobbying World House retirement sets off scramble for coveted chairmanship MORE (R-Ga.) formally jumped in the Appropriations race last week.

There are also some other politics at play in the race for the Oversight gavel.

The panel is packed with members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. In fact, the five most senior Oversight members who will be returning to Congress next year are Freedom Caucus lawmakers. They are, in order of seniority: former Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanCNN's Cuomo spars with GOP lawmaker over memos in heated exchange Burned by the budget, right warns Ryan on immigration Freedom Caucus chairman on budget deal: 'The swamp won and the American taxpayer lost' MORE (R-Ohio) and Reps. Mark Sanford Marshall (Mark) Clement SanfordMitt Romney had his chance and failed; time to step aside Trump promises ‘big week’ for infrastructure, eyes foreign aid House Republicans' bill would redirect Pakistan aid money to US infrastructure MORE (R-S.C.), Justin Amash Justin AmashTrump, GOP at new crossroads on deficit Rand Paul revels in role of Senate troublemaker GOP lawmaker hits Trump over Dem memo: Americans deserve to read both MORE (R-Mich.), Paul Gosar Paul Anthony GosarHouse rejects effort to condemn lawmaker for demanding 'Dreamer' arrests Hispanic Dems seek vote to condemn GOP lawmaker for demanding arrests of 'Dreamers' High-ranking Trump official attends hunting convention MORE (R-Ariz.) and Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.). Current Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsHouse conservative rejects ‘any suggestion of a coup on the speakership’ Freedom Caucus chairman warns Ryan over immigration Burned by the budget, right warns Ryan on immigration MORE (R-N.C.) is also on the committee.

But the leadership-aligned Steering Committee has a track record of denying Freedom Caucus members committee gavels.

“I don’t know that Freedom Caucus members’ chances on the Steering Committee are always that good, but we’ll see,” Jordan told The Hill.

He added that he and other Freedom Caucus members would like to see the GOP rules changed to give members of a particular committee more say in choosing their own chair. Such a move would shift power away from leadership.

“Because if that were the case, I’d be in a pretty good position,” Jordan said. “We’re going to look at it later.”

Another possible candidate is Rep. Mark Walker Bradley (Mark) Mark WalkerFlorida shooting reopens CDC gun research debate Right revolts on budget deal Judge overturns ex-felon voting rights process in Florida MORE (R-N.C.), whose term as Republican Study Committee chairman ends this year. But in an interview, Walker said he’s given the post no thought.

“I’ve had no major discussions on that whatsoever. I’ve not even thought of it because of my work as Republican Study Committee chair,” said Walker, who may be eyeing a leadership post higher up the GOP ladder.

Walker said he was fully supportive of Gowdy’s probe into Porter and possible weaknesses in the FBI background-check process for White House employees who handle sensitive information and documents.

“If you’ve got a history of physical or spousal abuse, you should never be in a position of service that’s making judgment calls,” Walker said.

“I don’t work with anybody who I have more confidence in or believe there is a man of more integrity than Trey Gowdy. So when he signs off on something, he has my 100 percent support.”



Melanie Zanona contributed.