Update: Gowdy trounced Inglis 71%-29% on June 22. The following column was published June. 21.<\p>
When GOP Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina was first elected in 1992, he was the darling of the Christian Right. And when Republicans won control of the House two years later, he seemed to be a man on the fast track to success. Never one to play it safe, he took a chance in 1998 by leaving the House to challenge Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings and narrowly lost. He returned to the House in 2004 and seemed likely to finish out his career there.
But in Tuesday’s round of primaries and runoffs, Inglis is the most likely incumbent to be knocked off. His biggest sin is his 2008 vote for TARP, the big bank bailout, but he’s also on the outs for for voting against President Bush's Iraq surge, for backing climate change legislation and for being one of only a handful of Republicans to vote in favor of reprimanding Joe “You Lie!” Wilson, a fellow S.C. Republican who famously interrupted President Obama’s address to Congress. His opponents say the conservative Inglis just isn't conservative enough.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Four Republicans ran against Inglis in the South Carolina primary two weeks ago, and one, Trey Gowdy, won the backing of the Tea Party and bested Inglis, 39% to 28%. Because Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, got less than 50%, there’ll be a runoff today. Hardly anyone thinks Inglis can pull off an upset.
Inglis will likely be the fifth incumbent to lose this primary season, following Sens. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Reps. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and Parker Griffith (R-AL). Griffith and Specter were party switchers whose loyalty was questioned by core voters. Inglis has a similar problem of sorts: Though he didn’t switch parties, too many South Carolina Republicans think he can’t be counted upon.
-
What Is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?Tax Breaks A QCD can lower your tax bill while meeting your charitable giving goals in retirement. Here’s how.
-
Embracing Generative AI for Financial SuccessGenerative AI has the potential to reshape how we approach learning about and managing our personal finances.
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic ForecastsEconomic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax BillPolitics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election ForecastPolitics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
-
The 2020 Election and Your MoneyPolitics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming LawPolitics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot VotingPolitics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 ElectionsPolitics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
-
How to Run for Local OfficePolitics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
