Friday March 29th, 2024 7:40AM

Collins says he'll enter race for U.S. Senate

Doug Collins said this morning that he’ll enter a special election for a seat in the U.S. Senate, claiming he’s the best candidate to support President Donald Trump’s agenda.

In an appearance just after 7 a.m. on Fox News, Collins dismissed concerns about a possible rift in Georgia’s Republican Party. Collins’ entrance into the race will pit him against Gov. Brian Kemp’s hand-picked choice, Atlanta businesswoman Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to the seat last month.

“We’re in for the Georgia Senate race. I’ve still got a lot of work left to do to help this president,” he said on “Fox and Friends.”

Collins said he would have a bigger, official announcement about his bid later in Georgia.

During the brief interview, Collins touted his support of President Trump and promised to bring the same fight for conservative values he championed in the House to a new role in the Senate.

“We’ve fought for this president, we’ve fought for our state and we’ve fought for this nation,” Collins said. “We’ve proven what we can do in the House and we’ve taken this message to the whole state of Georgia. They need to see conservative values that actually believe in people.”

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Loeffler's spokeswoman said welcomes Collins' entrance to the race.

"Anyone is welcome to run for the United States Senate," Caitlin O'Dea, Loeffler's press secretary said. "Kelly Loeffler remains unapologetically supportive of President Trump and his policies to Keep America Great. Already she's delivering conservative results for hardworking families in the Peach State. And that's exactly what she's going to keep doing."

 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee immediately condemned Collins’ decision, saying it stands behind Loeffler.

“The shortsightedness of this decision is stunning,” NRSC Executive Director Kevin McLaughlin said in a statement. “Doug Collins’ selfishness will hurt David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler and President Trump. Not to mention the people of Georgia who stand to bear the burden of it for years to come. All he has done is put two senate seats, multiple house seats and Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in play.”

Collins, though has friends too, including Georgia's powerful House Speaker David Ralston, who praised Collins Tuesday as a loyal ally.

“He has stood by me when few would, and I don’t forget things like that,” Ralston said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Collins, who has served the Ninth District in Northeast Georgia since 2013, had lobbied for Kemp to appoint him to the seat when longtime Sen. Johnny Isakson announced last year he would resign due to health concerns. Collins reportedly had the support of the president, who Collins had strongly defended during impeachment hearings as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

But Kemp instead chose Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman who is a co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. Loeffler has said she’s willing to use her own money to help finance her campaign.

The U.S. Senate race is a special election, meaning all candidates from all parties will run in a single election, set for Nov. 3. Some Republicans are concerned that such a scenario could split the Republican vote and help a Democrat make a runoff or win the seat outright.

The state House Governmental Affairs Committee approved a measure Tuesday that would force a partisan primary election in May. The winners from the Democratic and Republican primaries would then face each other in November.

The full House will take up the measure soon. But Kemp has vowed to veto it.

Collins' decision to not seek re-election to the U.S. House, where he has served since 2013, means another congressional seat will be without an incumbent this fall. Rep. Rob Woodall of the Seventh District and Rep. Tom Graves of the 14th District have said they won’t seek re-election. With Collins’ announcement, most of North Georgia will elect a new representative this fall.

Collins served three terms in the Georgia House before running for Congress.

A number of candidates are expected to enter the race to replace Collins. State Sen. John Wilkinson of Toccoa announced his candidacy Tuesday within minutes of Collins’ TV appearance.

“This is a critical time for our country, and we need an experienced, conservative voice willing to stand up for the values that residents of North Georgia hold dear,” Wilkinson said in a news release.

Wilkinson is a member of the Hall County legislative delegation. A portion of his senate district includes Hall. He was first elected to the state senate in a 2011 special election and has served four additional terms.

Other possible candidates include former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, state Rep. Kevin Tanner of Dawsonville and state Rep. Steve Gooch of Dahlonega. Two rumored candidates – state Sen. Butch Miller of Gainesville and WDUN radio host Martha Zoller – both said Tuesday they were unlikely to enter the race.

  • Associated Categories: Homepage, Local/State News
  • Associated Tags: Special Election, Doug Collins, U.S. Senate, John Wilkinson, Kelly Loeffler
© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.