Rep. Doug Collins To Challenge Kelly Loeffler In GA Senate Bid

GEORGIA — U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) announced on Fox News Wednesday morning that he plans to challenge newcomer Kelly Loeffler for her U.S. Senate seat and will join the race later this year.

“We’re in for the Georgia Senate race down here," Collins said on Fox & Friends. "I’ve still got a lot of work left to do to help this president finish this impeachment out. We’re going to make a bigger announcement down here in Georgia. Y'all have been so kind to ask about it and I want to continue to serve the people of Georgia. We're getting ready for a good time down here to keep defending this president and keep working for the people of Georgia.”

The Fox News anchors said the problem is that President Donald Trump wanted Collins to fill the seat vacated by Johnny Isakson, but instead Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tapped businesswoman Loeffler in December.

Isakson resigned at the end of 2019, but his term doesn't finish until 2022. The timing of Isakson's retirement means voters will now have both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats on this year's ballot.

"We're not concerned about (opening the seat to a Democrat)," Collins said. "We're concerned about going to the people of Georgia. I've always run with three reasons in mind: Jordan, Copelan and Cameron. Those are my three kids because they represent the kids' ideas and what we need to have in America."

Democrats planning to challenge for Loeffler's Senate seat include: Ed Tarver, a former federal prosecutor who served as U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Southern District under President Barack Obama, and Matt Lieberman, the son of former senator and vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, the AP reports. The Rev. Raphael Warnock, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church is rumored to be weighing a run.

There needs to be a better process for letting voters decide who to pick, Collins said.

"I think we fought for the president, for our state and for this country," he said. "And we're going to continue to do that. I look forward to that, to a good exchange of ideas, and this election."

While Collins challenges Loeffler, fellow Republican David Perdue is seeking a second term in 2020. Democrats who plan to seek the nomination to challenge Perdue include former 6th Congressional District contender Jon Ossoff; Sarah Riggs Amico, who ran for lieutenant governor in 2018; Teresa Tomlinson, a former mayor of Columbus; and Ted Terry, the mayor of Clarkston, reports AJC.com.

SEE MORE:

• GA Congressman Named To Trump's Impeachment Team: White House
• Trump Team Concludes Defense, Argues Against Calling Bolton

Collins was named as a member of Trump's impeachment defense team earlier this month. The Congressman tweeted that he was "honored to continue fighting on behalf of President Donald Trump."

"This impeachment has been a sham since day one, and we will continue to expose it for what it is: A blatantly political attempt to overturn the will of 63 million Americans," Collins wrote.

In a statement from the White House on Jan. 20, Collins was listed as one of eight Republicans members of the House of Representatives that "will serve as part of his team working to combat this hyper-partisan and baseless impeachment," the statement said.

When asked if he anticipates Trump endorsing him, he said it's "up to the president. We know why we fight. I appreciate all of his help and support in the past. We look forward to working with him and being back in Washington today to do just that."

Collins has represented Georgia's 9th Congressional District, including a portion of Forsyth County, since 2013.

He serves as a ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, according to his website.

"In this role, Doug leads his Republican colleagues on a wide breadth of issues within the committee's purview, which include fighting to uphold and safeguard the Second Amendment, protecting the lives of unborn children, defending religious liberty, and overseeing our law enforcement agencies," the website says.

The Senate is expected to vote later this week on whether to call additional witnesses to testify.