A major ally of President Trump and friend to the MAGA movement is making a big political move. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) officially launched his campaign for U.S. Senate on Monday, giving Republicans a strong opportunity to flip one of Georgia’s two Democratic-held seats.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), considered the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the 2026 cycle, now faces a serious challenge from Collins, who joins a growing field of conservative contenders aiming for the GOP nomination.
“We need a Senator who works for Georgia, not the California crazies or New York nutjobs,” Collins said in the announcement, posted to X. “I don’t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn’t Georgia.”
Among his key priorities, Collins touts his role in the U.S. House in eliminating what he calls “woke DEI garbage” from the federal government and advancing legislation “banning boys from playing in girls’ sports.” He also pointed to the Laken Riley Act—named after the slain University of Georgia student killed by a violent illegal immigrant released under the Biden administration—as a signature achievement.
Also running is Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), who is actively seeking former President Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement. Collins, meanwhile, featured a clip of Trump praising him in his campaign launch video, signaling his own alignment with the former president. “He loves his state,” Trump says of Collins.
Collins was an original sponsor of the Laken Riley Act, the first bill signed by Trump in his second term. According to Politico, the legislation strengthens the authority of immigration officials to deport illegal immigrants for lower-level criminal offenses. “I wrote the Laken Riley Act so we can deport criminal illegals wherever they are, making sure this never happens again,” he said in the video.
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