Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a conservative firebrand who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, has entered the GOP primary race for U.S. Senate, touting his MAGA credentials and taking shots at incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat.
First elected to Congress in 2022 to represent a conservative district that spans east and central Georgia, encompassing Athens and part of the Atlanta metro area, Collins is also the founder and CEO of a trucking company. He is the son of former U.S. Rep. Mac Collins, who was a member of Congress from 1993 until 2005.
The Jackson Republican is entering a rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive Republican primary. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is reportedly working behind the scenes to support former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who is expected to launch his campaign for Senate soon.
Days ago, Insurance Commissioner John King dropped out of the race after a conversation with Kemp, according to the Associated Press. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents a coastal Georgia district, is also seeking the Republican nomination, branding himself a “MAGA warrior.”
Collins and Carter may soon be battling for President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary, as each seeks to cast himself as the more Trump-aligned pick for the job. (Collins defeated a Trump-backed candidate for his House seat in 2022.)
Who does the governor support?
Though Trump and Kemp had reportedly been working behind the scenes to try and find a consensus candidate to endorse, no candidate has publicly emerged from those talks.
In his announcement video, Collins emphasized his efforts to implement Trump’s agenda on issues like the federal budget reconciliation bill and immigration policy. Collins was the lead sponsor of the federal Laken Riley Act, which requires the expansion of mass detention for immigrants charged or arrested for property crimes.
Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at the University of Georgia, was a resident of Collins’ district when she was killed in 2024, sparking a wave of state-wide and federal immigration proposals. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela who authorities said entered the country illegally in 2022, was convicted of her killing in November.
Collins also took aim at Ossoff in his announcement video, promising to advocate for more conservative policies at the federal level and “steamroll the radical left.”
“We need a senator who works for Georgia, not the California crazies or New York nut jobs,” Collins said in a campaign video announcing his bid for Senate. “I don’t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn’t Georgia.”
Like Trump, Collins is known for his social media presence, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter). He has previously had his account temporarily suspended after a post where he appeared to advocate for killing immigrants who commit crimes after entering the country illegally. Last May, he also came under fire for retweeting a video of a group of University of Mississippi students mocking Black antiwar protestors with monkey noises and gestures, adding the caption “Ole Miss taking care of business.” He later backtracked his statement in response to the backlash.
The Democratic Party of Georgia criticized Collins’ bid for office, citing his past history of inflammatory social media comments and support for Trump’s policies.
“This already messy primary will expose just how out of step Collins is with Georgia voters as Republicans duke it out to prove who is more in line with Trump’s toxic agenda, deep Medicaid cuts, and economic chaos,” party chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement.
