Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp isn’t going to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in next year’s midterm election. These things happen; sometimes, a Republican’s worst election nightmare comes from within. We’ve seen it happen time and again. So, who can fill the slot? How about Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA)?
The Georgia Republican was coy when first asked about this, being a loyal soldier and focusing his responses on defeating Ossoff next year. But first, he has some excellent preliminary polling against the incumbent Democrat. Cygnal's polling also showed that Collins is the best in the hypothetical crop to garner GOP voter support (via Newsweek):According to polling data from polling and analytics firm Cygnal, Ossoff beats his closest republican rivals with some healthy margins. Only Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Secretary of State, poses a considerable threat from the Republicans—unless Georgia Governor Brian Kemp decides to join the race.
Raffensperger scored a statistical tie against Ossoff in the polling, and other potential rivals, including Kelly Loeffler, who previously ran against Raphael Warnock and lost despite Trump's backing, fell outside of the margin of error, which Cygnal identified as plus or minus 3.4 percent.
One potential stumbling block for Ossoff is Mike Collins, one of the current representatives from Georgia, who is behind Ossoff by only 2.5 points, putting him within the margin of error but outside of a statistical tie, such as the case of Raffensperger.
He’s well within striking distance. If Collins is serious, and with illegal immigration on the minds of Peach State voters, he might want to discuss how he was a key force behind the Laken Riley Act. The bill, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, makes it mandatory for federal law enforcement to detain illegals who commit and have been charged with theft.
It’s named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien, José Antonio Ibarra, in February of 2024. Ibarra was charged with theft outside a local Walmart, and a bench warrant was issued when he refused to attend his court date. He was also the subject of an ICE detainer. Still, this nation has been and continues to be overwhelmed by the horde of illegals Joe Biden allowed in, who have terrorized, burgled, raped, and committed acts of murder in our communities. They must go back. If we must suspend habeas corpus—so be it.
Rep. Mike Collins was key behind that push. Mr. Collins knew Trump was going to win by the Fall of 2024. He knew that 11 million-plus illegals shipped all over the country by Biden, like Amazon Prime, would take patience and resources, but also a law to make it mandatory to detain these people. The Laken Riley Act was a way to get the ball rolling.
Word on the street is that Collins, unlike some of his colleagues, is a workhorse for the GOP and its key initiatives. At the outset, the Laken Riley Act had a rough start regarding getting the bipartisan support it later clinched. Collins was a man on a mission, doing micro-canvassing on the Hill. The man spoke with House and Senate members to ensure passage. He’s only been in DC since 2023. Even then, he got off the ground running, getting the TRANQ Act passed and signed into law by then-President Joe Biden:
"I am immensely proud to have the TRANQ Research Act be my first bill in Congress signed into law," said Rep. Collins. "Our law enforcement personnel require additional resources to better combat the flood of synthetic opioids devastating American communities across the country and this bill accomplishes just that."
[…]
The TRANQ Research Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to deepen its partnerships and strategically focus on the science needed to detect, identify, and better understand synthetic opioids. One particularly dangerous fentanyl analog contains xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer.
Tranq, also known as the “Zombie Drug,” has gruesome side effects, one of which causes large wounds that don’t heal and is resistant to standard opioid overdose treatments. Its use is skyrocketing across the country and contributing to an ever-growing number of drug overdoses.
It’s a rarity: a member of Congress who will push to get things done, no matter who is in office or the obstacles.
Oh, and did we mention that his social media game is excellent, too:
I can’t blame Robert Menendez for storming a federal detainment facility. He was just looking for his dad.
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 9, 2025
Only in America! pic.twitter.com/UIoklNuzs1
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 20, 2025
No doubt, Kemp not running is a gut punch, but we might have a solid substitution. Play the bench.
The New York Knicks did that against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, overcoming a 20-point deficit.
If someone needs to step in when crunch time comes for this race, one would hope Collins, or someone with these attributes, races in because the last thing we need is Ossoff in there for another six years.