Mike Collins, a known businessman, managed to knock out former Democratic State Representative Vernon Jones from the running for the Georgia’s 10th Congressional District GOP primary run-off election.
As of writing, Collins managed to gather a massive 78.26% of the total vote while Jones sported a pitiful 21.74%, as reported by Decision Desk HQ, with enough votes reported to effectively project a win for Collins.
For a GOP primary, Jones managed to garner 21.6% of the total vote while Collins secured 25.6% across a strong eight-candidate field. In order to officially win though, and stpo another run-off election from taking place, the winner needed to hold at minimum 50% of the total vote.
Last week, Collins held an endorsement from GOvernor Brian Kemp (R-GA). Jones, however, sported the support and backing from former President Donald Trump since February.
“Today, I’m proud to endorse Mike Collins to be the next congressman for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District,” Kemp stated at the time he gave his endorsement. “As a conservative small businessman, Mike knows firsthand how the disastrous policies of the Biden administration are hurting hardworking Georgians and communities all across our state.”
Collins has spent most of his actual career working in various parts of the trucking industry. His father is well-known former GOP Congressman Mac Collins of Georgia who held the role from 1995-2003.
“Mike is strongly pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and will fight hard to put Georgians first in Congress,” Kemp stated in a release.
Kemp managed to secure the GOP’s gubernatorial primary this past May by well over 50 points.
Kemp, who was previously endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, beat out quite a few other candidates, such as former Senator David Perdue, who also previously held endorsements from former President Trump. On the other side of the aisle, the primary was secured by Democrat Stacey Abrams who ran entirely unopposed.
Back in April of 2020, Jones officially resigned from the seat he held as a state rep and then left the Democratic Party as a whole.
“I’m sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democrat Party for putting my country before my party,” Jones stated to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when it happened. “I take pride in being an independent thinker. I intend to help the Democrat Party get rid of its bigotry against Black people that are independent and conservative.”
Jones first went after the Georgia GOP nomination for governor before making the choice to run for congress in the wake of being persuaded to change by Trump.
As of his victory, Collins is now slated to go up against the winner of the Democratic Party’s primary run-off election for the 10th Congressional District, which will end up being between Jessica Fore and Tabitha Johnson-Green.
As reported by Dave Wasserman with the Cook Political Report, currently the 10th district is quite solidly Republican for the year’s midterm elections.
I've seen enough: Mike Collins (R) defeats Trump-endorsed Vernon Jones (R) in the #GA10 GOP runoff. @CookPolitical November rating: Solid R.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 21, 2022