The South Carolina Representative who was elected during the Tea Party movement has announced he will leave office at the end of his term.
Congressman Jeff Duncan has represented South Carolina’s third congressional district since 2010. In his Jan. 17 retirement announcement, the Republican said he “felt called to serve” in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“I am proud of my conservative voting record and the opportunities over these 14 years to lead the State and Nation on many issues important to South Carolina and the United States, especially in fiscal responsibility and American energy,” wrote Duncan. “At some point in a career, one needs to step aside and allow others to bring fresh ideas and abilities into the fight for Liberty, just as I have.”
“Representing the 3rd District of South Carolina in this capacity has been a privilege and honor,” he added. “Now, it is time for another man or woman to serve our District in the next Congress.”
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 pic.twitter.com/Ngeu5USBK6
A South Carolina native, Duncan previously worked as a branch manager and an assistant vice president at a bank and the CEO of the real estate marketing firm J. Duncan Associates. He was a state representative between 2002 and 2010 before being elected to federal office. He currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is the chair of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security. He is also a member of the Freedom Caucus.
The 58-year-old released a statement on Sept. 27 that his family was dealing with “a difficult and private moment” that involved “a deeply personal matter.” The same day, The Laurens County Advertiser reported that Duncan’s wife – Melody Duncan – had accused him of having multiple affairs and was filing for divorce after 35 years of marriage. The couple has three adult children.
Duncan has been a supporter of former President Donald Trump during his time in Congress. In 2017, he urged his Republican colleagues who had criticized Trump to support the president.
"Parroting late night talk show hosts so you can become endeared by the Washington establishment doesn't make you some kind of hero, brave, or even a statesman," Duncan wrote in a Facebook post, per the Independent Mail. "It means that you think you know better than the people who elected you, or have become susceptible to self promotion and flattery."
He also celebrates Trump’s acquittal following the 2020 impeachment trial.
“After a months-long impeachment witch hunt, President Trump is acquitted, and rightfully so! Democrats' non-existent case was obliterated by the President's defense team on the Senate floor…. Today's vote marks a chapter closed on a disgraceful and baseless impeachment expedition,” he stated in a press release. “The Democrats have stopped at nothing since January 20, 2017 to undermine the will of 63 million Americans and overturn an election that didn't go their way – all because of their unquenchable thirst for total control over the American peoples' lives. Their desire to subvert the will of voters through an unconstitutional impeachment comes from their fear to face President Trump at the ballot box, because as we heard in the State of the Union, his record is untouchable.”
Duncan also denounced the Federal Bureau of Investigation raid on Mar-A-Lago in August of 2022.
The congressman has not revealed his future professional plans.
