Gov. Brian Kemp today endorsed Mike Collins in Tuesday's runoff election for the Republican nomination for Georgia's 10th Congressional District seat.
Kemp, who votes in his hometown of Athens in the 10th Congressional District, said he was endorsing Collins over Vernon Jones in part because of Collins' "pro-life, pro-Second Amendment" stands.
Collins said he was “honored to have Gov. Kemp’s trust and endorsement.”
“Gov. Kemp has led the fight to create jobs, lower taxes, support our rural communities, defend our Second Amendment, protect the unborn, and stand up to champion our conservative values and deliver results for Georgia families — and that’s exactly what I plan to do as the next congressman from the 10th District,” Collins said.
Jones, a former DeKalb County government CEO and state legislator, campaigned for governor in 2021 in an effort to oust Kemp.
He switched to the 10th District race at the urging of former President Donald Trump who later publicly endorsed former U.S. Sen. David Perdue in the race to unseat Kemp and endorsed Jones for the congressional seat.
Kemp went on to soundly defeated Perdue in the May 24 Republican Primary.
Collins and Jones qualified for Tuesday's runoff after Collins finished first and Jones second but neither received more than 50% of the total votes cast in an eight-candidate race for the nomination May 24.
The governor's endorsement of Collins follows those from former governor Nathan Deal, five former GOP primary election opponents, and Newton County Republican officials including District 17 State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, and state House District 114 Republican nominee Tim Fleming.
Jones said, "Throughout my political career, I have never been the establishment's favorite. That's something to be proud of — not ashamed of — and is exactly why President Trump endorsed me.
“I’m not running for Congress to join the establishment. I’m running for Congress to destroy it.”
Either Collins or Jones will face the winner of Tuesday's Democratic Primary runoff election between Jessica Fore and Tabitha Johnson-Green in the Nov. 8 General Election. The 18-county east Georgia district will include most of Newton County after Jan. 1.
However, the district outside Newton County is heavily Republican and the winner of the GOP Primary runoff Tuesday could have an easy path to election to the U.S. House.
The 10th District incumbent, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro, chose not to seek re-election to a fifth term this year to seek the Republican nomination for Georgia Secretary of State. Hice also was endorsed by Trump lost to incumbent Brad Raffensperger May 24.
