Donald Trump has praised his pick for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat as a warrior and a winner.
The winning part of that may not hold up to the scrutiny that voters are set to dispense in the fall.
The president endorsed Rep. Mike Collins just days before Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff, positioning the conservative congressman as the party favorite to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff this fall. But within the Republican Party, that endorsement has landed with a clear sense of dread.
Collins, who has falsely claimed Trump won Georgia in the 2020 election, is the kind of candidate the president tends to favor: a base-friendly ally likely to back the president’s agenda in Washington time and again.
During an earlier congressional run, he expressed support in a questionnaire for banning abortion without any exceptions. His campaign now points to more recent comments where the congressman embraces the state’s so-called “heartbeat” law that contains special cases where the procedure can still be done.
But the turning point on that stance speaks to just how much of a challenge moderating someone with Collins’ conservative streak may be statewide.
The anxiety reflects a broader reckoning within Georgia’s Republican Party.
This is a preview of an article by Hunter Woodall. Read the full article here.
