SC’s Rep. Inglis loses bid for 7th term; challengers tagged him a liberal for bailout support

SC congressman Bob Inglis ousted in GOP runoff

GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis has been bounced from his longtime seat by a well-known prosecutor after challengers questioned the Republican’s conservative credentials.

Trey Gowdy of Spartanburg won the GOP primary runoff Tuesday.

Inglis has always scored well with conservative organizations. But his challengers this year painted him as a liberal who voted for Wall Street and banking bailouts in 2008. He also raised activists’ ire by telling them to turn off political commentator Glenn Beck.

Inglis failed to overcome the primary odds. He placed second in the five-way primary two weeks ago.

Inglis was first elected to the seat in 1992. He left after six years to honor his term-limits pledge but sought the seat again in 2004.