Former GOP Rep. Doug Collins, who placed third in the 2020 race for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, announced Monday he won’t run in 2022 for the seat now held by Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock, or for any other public office.
“I’m announcing today that I will not be a candidate for any office in the next election cycle,” Collins posted on Twitter. “For those who may wonder, this is goodbye for now, but probably not forever.”
He added in his statement that “It has been a joy” to serve both in Georgia’s legislature and in Congress, adding that, as a representative, he was “able to accomplish a great deal for the folks that I served including historic criminal justice reform with the passage of the First Step Act.”
“I fought each and every day to uphold our Constitutional rights and the freedoms we cherish,” said Collins, who served as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. “I have always believed that when you are given the privilege of serving, you should strive to pass meaningful legislation that impacts people’s everyday lives. I’m proud we were able to do just that.”
Collins said that while he’s not running for office, he does plan to stay involved to “shape our conservative message, to help Republicans win the House and the Senate and help strong conservative candidates get elected here in Georgia. I believe that we, as conservatives, must be able to clearly communicate our values and I will help keep that fight going.”
Collins, of Gainesville, reportedly had been considering a new campaign for Senate and would have — so far — been the biggest name among Republican candidates lining up to take on Warnock.
The former congressman, who had served in the house from 2013 to 2021 and became a nationally recognized party leader, has also been signaling that he’ll remain in the public sector, however. He recently launched a new conservative talk show and joined a law firm in north Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Collins, in the 2020 race, ran against then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to the Senate in 2019 by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill the seat of Johnny Isakson, who retired due to health issues. Loeffler lost to Warnock in a runoff election in January, a race that helped to flip control of the Senate to Democrats.
Former President Donald Trump had been pushing Collins to challenge Kemp in a primary race for governor of Georgia. Trump and his allies have been angry at Georgia’s Republican governor for not pursuing allegations of voter fraud in the state vigourously enough.
Meanwhile, Trump has been encouraging Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL star Herschel Walker to run for Senate, calling him “unstoppable.”
Walker has not yet announced his intentions, although he told Fox News earlier this month that he’s “considering” a campaign, New York Magazine reported.
CNN has reported that Walker has been visiting with former Trump staffers and with key GOP senators like Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to discuss his chances.
However, several other Republicans, including Loeffler, are exploring the race, but have not made announcements at this point, most likely because the Trump-backed Walker has not yet made a decision.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is also considering a campaign, but talk of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a freshman congresswoman who has been making the news in recent weeks for her outspoken comments, has subsided at this point, the publication reports.
Source: Newmax
