U.S. Rep. Mike Collins spent the weekend lining up endorsements for a likely run for U.S. Senate as he prepares to join a growing Republican field to take on Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.
The Jackson Republican made a flurry of calls to GOP officials, allies of President Donald Trump and grassroots activists in recent days courting their support, according to multiple recipients of the calls who were not authorized to speak about the campaign. It’s the clearest sign yet that he’s poised to enter the race.
He’d join a wide-open GOP contest that lacks a clear frontrunner after Gov. Brian Kemp opted against a run and other potential heavyweights, including former U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, joined the Trump administration.
Already in the race are U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a longtime coastal Georgia lawmaker, and Insurance Commissioner John King. Former football coach Derek Dooley is also laying the groundwork for a bid, and he recently hired two of Kemp’s top political operatives.
But Collins’ allies sense an opening for his hard-edged, MAGA-aligned brand of politics.
The son of the late U.S. Rep. Mac Collins, he won his deep-red northeast Georgia seat in 2022 after defeating a Trump-backed rival in a heated runoff. Since arriving in Washington, he’s carved out a reputation as a legislative workhorse and a political brawler.
He was the first freshman lawmaker to sponsor a bill signed by President Joe Biden, Democrat. And the first bill signed by Trump after returning to office in January was a Collins-backed immigration crackdown named for slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
Collins has traveled the country campaigning for other MAGA loyalists, pitching his vision of an “America First Congress.” And he’s a fixture in Georgia GOP circles, drawing hundreds to a May rally where he excoriated Ossoff.
His provocative memes and culture war broadsides have endeared him to Trump supporters. But they’ve also sparked controversy. Some posts have been labeled racist or xenophobic by critics, and he faced bipartisan backlash last year for spreading conspiracy theories.
What’s not clear is how a Collins candidacy could affect Kemp’s ongoing efforts to reach a deal with Trump on a consensus candidate. The governor has urged donors to “keep your powder dry” while talks continue, and Dooley’s recent hires of top Kemp allies signaled a possible alignment.
Ossoff, meanwhile, is seen as both a vulnerable Democrat — the only incumbent senator up for reelection in a state Trump carried — and a formidable opponent. He’s already banked more than $15.4 million and signaled he’ll make the race a referendum on Trump.
Collins appears ready to do the same. He’s teased a bid for Senate for months, framing himself as a MAGA loyalist, and he said earlier this month he would consult closely with Trump and his political team before jumping in the fray.
“I love what I’m doing now. I think I’ve been effective for my district, for the state. I love my district,” Collins said. “But I also understand that sometimes you don’t do what you want to do, but do what you need to do.”
Credit: Sarah Peacock for the AJC
Credit: Sarah Peacock for the AJC
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