Mike Collins | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives from Georgia's 10th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Jody Hice |
Personal details | |
Born | Jackson,Georgia,U.S. | July 2,1967
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Leigh Ann Collins |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Mac Collins (father) |
Education | Georgia State University (BA) |
Website | House website |
Michael Allen Collins Jr. (born July 2, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Collins graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's degree in business. He has operated several businesses, including a trucking company. [1]
Collins ran to represent Georgia's 10th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, when incumbent Paul Broun was not seeking reelection. Collins finished in second place in the primary election to Jody Hice, advancing to a runoff election. [2] Hice defeated Collins in the runoff. [3]
After Hice announced that he would not seek reelection in the 2022 elections, Collins announced his candidacy. [1] Collins and Vernon Jones advanced to a runoff election, [4] and Collins defeated Jones in the runoff on June 21. [5] Collins defeated Tabitha Johnson-Green, the Democratic nominee, in the November 8 general election. [6]
After his election, Collins drew attention for hiring Brandon Phillips as his chief of staff. Phillips was arrested in November 2022 on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty for kicking a dog, and had two previous criminal incidents, including pleading guilty to criminal trespassing and battery for a 2008 incident when he attacked a man and slashed his car's tires, and threw a woman's laptop. [7]
On December 13, 2023, Collins voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. [8]
Collins was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. [9]
In December 2023, Collins used a music-themed Mariah Carey display on the floor of the United States House of Representatives titled "All I want for Christmas is 12 appropriations bills". [10]
In December 2023, Collins' H.R. 1734 Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Act passed both the House and the Senate and was sent to the President of the United States to be signed into law. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Collins was "in line to become the first member of this year’s freshman class to see a bill signed into law." [11] [12]
Collins' 10th District is located within Georgia's I-75 Central Corridor. [13]
Collins was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of 2023's H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days. [14] [15]
Collins voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. [16] [17] Collins supports the United States selling weapons to Taiwan, but voted against providing military aid to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [18]
Collins called for the impeachment and resignation of United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in 2023. [19]
On January 24, 2024, Collins introduced a bill he called the "RAZOR Act" which would ban federal authorities from removing razor wire placed along the border with Mexico by the State of Texas and the Texas National Guard. [20] [21]
After a migrant in New York City was released from jail without bail in February 2024 after allegedly attacking a police officer; Collins suggested the migrant be executed. Collins stated on X that the migrant should be given "a ticket on Pinochet Air for a free helicopter ride back.” Collins' post referenced the Chilean government's killing of dissidents on death flights carried out during the rule of Augusto Pinochet. [22] The migrant Collins had suggested be executed was later cleared of wrongdoing after the Manhattan District Attorney's office announced he had been misidentified. [23]
After the Killing of Laken Riley, who was a Georgia resident, Collins introduced the Laken Riley Act, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants charged with theft. The Laken Riley Act has passed the House of Representatives. [24] [25]
Collins frequently posts memes on social media, jokingly declaring that "Press Releases are out, memes are in." [26] In March 2024, Collins replied "Never was a second thought" to an antisemitic post on X by user "Garbage Human", who was implicitly disparaging Washington Post journalist Maura Judkis for being Jewish. "Garbage Human" later confirmed they were alluding to Judkis' religion. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia State Legislature, criticized Collins, saying "It’s one thing to mistakenly respond to an antisemitic account. It’s another thing to double down on it and gaslight us like it never happened.” Collins denied his post on X was antisemitic, stating he had called Judkis a "garbage human" because she had said the United States was "built on stolen land." [27] [28] [29] [30]
In April 2024, amidst the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, Collins tweeted, "Not sure what y'all are doing up north, but we don't give them the time to encamp. Tazers set to stun!" Collins' post on X/Twitter was accompanied by a one-minute-17-second video clip depicting a series of scenes from the police crackdown on protesters at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, including a scene in which a Black man is seen lying on the ground in handcuffs while a Georgia State Patrol officer applies a taser to his leg and fires it. Other scenes in the video showed police struggling with protesters, protesters in handcuffs seated near an Atlanta Police prisoner transport van, and footage where the sound of police firing rubber bullets can be heard. [31] [32] In May 2024, Collins approvingly shared footage of counter-protesters at the University of Mississippi heckling pro-Palestinian protesters. Collins praised the counter-protesters, posting “Ole Miss taking care of business." The footage showed a white student engaging in racist mockery of a pro-Palestinian black student by imitating a monkey. The video also showed the counter-protesters chanting "Lock her up!" at the pro-Palestinian student. [33] [34] [35]
In May 2024, following reports that presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once said that a parasitic worm had been found in his brain, Collins posted on X, "You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain", referring to the assassinations of Kennedy's father and uncle. His remark drew criticism. [36] [37]
For the 118th Congress: [38]
Collins's father, the late Mac Collins, also served in the House of Representatives, representing Georgia's 3rd congressional district. [40] Where Georgia's Interstate 75 Exit 205 and Georgia's Highway 16 cross is known as the "Congressman Mac Collins Memorial Exchange". [41] Collins and his wife, Leigh Ann, have three children. [40] Collins is a Methodist. [42] Collins' business 'Collins Trucking' is a sponsor of the Butts County, Georgia Historical Society. [43]
Timothy Lee Walberg is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 5th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the 7th district from 2007 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2023. As the longest tenured member from Michigan, Walberg is the current Dean of its delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jody Brownlow Hice is an American politician, radio show host, and political activist who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
James Edward Banks is an American politician who is the Republican Party nominee for the 2024 U.S. Senate election in Indiana. Currently serving as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 3rd congressional district since 2017, he previously served as a member of the Indiana Senate from 2010 to 2016.
Hugh Thompson Rice Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 7th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. The district serves most of the northeastern corner of the state and includes Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand, Florence, Cheraw, and Darlington. A Republican, Rice was first elected in 2012 and was a member of the freshman class chosen to sit at the House Republican leadership table. Rice was reelected in 2014, defeating Democratic nominee Gloria Bromell Tinubu in a rematch of the 2012 election.
Douglas Allen Collins is an American lawyer and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2021.
Earl LeRoy "Buddy" Carter is an American pharmacist and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 1st congressional district since 2015. The district is based in Savannah and includes most of the state's coastal southern portion. A member of the Republican Party, Carter served as a Georgia state representative (2005–2009) and Georgia state senator (2009–2014).
Barry Dean Loudermilk is an American politician from the state of Georgia who has been the U.S. representative from Georgia's 11th congressional district since 2015. The district covers a large slice of Atlanta's northern suburbs, including Marietta, Acworth and Smyrna, and a sliver of Atlanta itself.
Anderson Drew Ferguson IV is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Georgia's 3rd congressional district. The district stretches from the southern suburbs of Atlanta to the northern suburbs of Columbus, including a sliver of Columbus itself.
Glen Clay Higgins is an American politician and reserve law enforcement officer from the state of Louisiana. A Republican, Higgins is the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district. The district, which contains much of the territory once represented by former governor Edwin Edwards and former U.S. senator John Breaux, is in the southwestern corner of the state and includes Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Iberia. Higgins won the runoff election on December 10, 2016, defeating fellow Republican Scott Angelle.
William Richardson Timmons IV is an American attorney, entrepreneur, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 4th congressional district since 2019. His district is in the heart of the Upstate and includes Greenville, Spartanburg, and most of their suburbs. A member of the Republican Party, Timmons served as the South Carolina state senator from 2016 to 2018.
Kevin Ray Hern is an American businessman and politician from Oklahoma. A Republican, he is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district. Born in Missouri and raised in Pope County, Arkansas, Hern graduated from Arkansas Tech University in 1986 and briefly attended the Georgia Institute of Technology before returning to Arkansas to work for McDonald's the following year. In 1997 he bought his first McDonald's franchise and in 1999 he earned his MBA degree from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. After moving to Oklahoma in 1999, Hern expanded his McDonald's franchises, eventually owning 18 franchises in the Tulsa metropolitan area. In 2018, he ran his first campaign for office and was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
Richard Dean McCormick is an American politician and physician. A member of the Republican Party, he has represented Georgia's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, sometimes referred to by her initials MTG, is an American far-right politician, businesswoman, and conspiracy theorist who has been the U.S. representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected to Congress in 2020 following the retirement of Republican incumbent Tom Graves and was reelected in 2022.
Andrew Scott Clyde is an American politician and gun store owner from the state of Georgia. A Republican, Clyde represents Georgia's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, assuming office in 2021. The district serves a large swath of exurban and rural territory northeast of Atlanta, including Gainesville, Toccoa, Hartwell and Dahlonega.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 14 U.S. representatives from the state of Georgia, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the Georgia gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, and various state and local elections.
Ernest Anthony Gonzales II is an American politician and United States Navy veteran who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Secretary of State of Georgia. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won re-election to a second term. Raffensperger emerged as a major national figure in early January, 2021 when he faced significant pressure from then-President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The party primary elections took place on May 24, with runoffs scheduled for June 21. Trump had been taped in a phone call asking Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes," the exact number needed for Trump to carry the state.
Morgan Joe Luttrell is an American politician, businessman, and military veteran serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 8th congressional district since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Brandon McDonald Williams is an American politician, farmer, and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 22nd congressional district since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old American nursing student at Augusta University, was abducted and killed while she was jogging at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick; her death was caused by blunt force trauma.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)