Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia will challenge fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler to represent the Peach State in the Senate.
Collins has begun organizing his campaign staff and notifying allies of his intent to run, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He said he was “strongly” considering a run before Loeffler was appointed to the Senate in December.
President Trump lobbied Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to appoint Collins to the Senate seat vacated by former Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, 74, who resigned at the end of 2019 for health reasons. Collins has attempted to solidify Trump’s support for his primary challenge against Loeffler and hopes to launch his campaign with support from the president or his team.
Since joining the Senate, Loeffler has aligned herself with Trump and has defended him in his Senate impeachment trial. On Monday, she accused fellow Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of attempting to “appease the Left” after he signaled his openness to calling witnesses in the trial.
Collins was a staunch defender of the president during the House impeachment investigation, and he was named as one of eight House members on Trump’s impeachment team, which includes some of the most vocal critics of the Democrat-led impeachment proceedings.
