Gowdy was born on August 22, 1964 in Greenville, South Carolina. In 1982 he graduated from Spartanburg High School, Spartanburg, South Carolina. In 1986 he graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Gowdy graduated from University of South Carolina School of Law. He was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1994 to 2000. Gowdy was then elected state district attorney in South Carolina. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2010. On May 4, 2015 he was named to head the special House panel to investigate the 2012 Benghazi attack. He is married to Terri Gowdy. They have two children.