The writing was on the wall for Mr. Inglis after he came in second in a crowded Republican primary June 8, but he still qualified for a runoff two weeks later. But prosecutor Trey Gowdy (R), a tea party favorite, humiliated Inglis in the second election, defeating the six-term congressman 71 percent to 29 percent.
How did Inglis fall so far from his 23-point win in the 2008 general election? Inglis did face a primary opponent that year who considered him vulnerable because of his more moderate views on the environment and the Iraq war. But the reliable conservative said he was doomed this year by unwillingness to engage in conspiracy theories about President Obama – from “birtherism” to his supposed affinity for Marxism and Islam – that were popular with tea party members in his Fourth Congressional District.
