He is the ideal candidate to manage Washington like a company.
The event, which was intended as an early display of force in the confused race, gathered hundreds of people to a lakeside location in Collins’ rural Georgia birthplace on a rainy afternoon.
Collins was hailed as the conservative workhorse by signs, and prominent Republicans who either supported his campaign or were interested in hearing his message were scattered among the gathering.
Notably absent from the address were the startling criticisms Collins recently leveled at Derek Dooley, the former football coach and political newcomer supported by Governor Brian Kemp.
The two-term incumbent left that to surrogates, who brought up Dooley’s inconsistent voting record, pointing out that he has admitted to infrequently casting a ballot in presidential elections over the past 20 years and that he hasn’t shown public support for Trump for a long time.
Bruce LeVell, the former leader of Trump’s national diversity coalition, commanded the audience to shout loudest when he told Dooley, “Hey, I see what you are doing, but you would be better off in our camp, because we are in a winning camp.”
Kemp hoped to avoid a situation like this when he tried to work with Trump early on to find a compromise candidate in order to avoid a brutal primary.
A unified GOP was thought to be able to mobilize the party’s resources for the real battle—a general election contest against Ossoff.
However, Kemp and Trump have yet to agree on a candidate, and the hundreds of people who attended Collins’ kickoff served as a reminder of how chaotic the impending GOP primary may be.
Vincent Bond, a Jackson small business owner who was holding a placard that was critical of Dooley, declared, “He’s a phony.” He has never appeared before. Furthermore, I have no idea where he has gone. I can’t rely on him.
It was Collins’ first official Senate campaign rally. He traced his political career with it.
Mike Collins, the son of the late U.S. Representative Mac Collins, emphasized his track record of writing legislation that was signed into law by Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden.
I didn’t simply throw these bills in the hopper, make a press conference, and call it a day. He said, “I went door to door.” It’s known as being a workhorse. I adore my job, which the good Lord called me to do.
Collins’ campaign is probably going to focus on the latter bill, an immigration crackdown named after nursing student Laken Riley who was killed. Earlier this week, Riley’s mother and stepfather gave their support to his cause.
However, his route is far from clear. Kemp, who consistently ranks as the state’s most popular Republican, is supporting Dooley’s candidacy with his political clout.
Republican insiders believe that the most authentic MAGA warrior in the field is U.S. Representative Buddy Carter, a rich senior congressman who is also running a campaign targeted at Trump fans.
Collins’ campaign is currently attempting to establish the foundation. He has obtained a number of significant endorsements and recruited a significant Kemp ally to act as a primary fundraiser for his campaign.
Additionally, his team established a broad grassroots network, publishing a list of hundreds of activists from Georgia’s 159 counties—a significant accomplishment in a state where more established Republicans frequently find it difficult to build networks of this kind.
The electorate is anticipating a fierce primary. To provide his support, Maxwell Pichan, a small business entrepreneur from Forsyth County who recently relocated to Georgia from Silicon Valley, drove down. He agreed that it’s too early to take sides.
But what counts to me is that Collins is a successful business owner. He added that he is an effective member of Congress. He has a genuine possibility to lead Georgia as a statesman for many years to come.
