Scoop: Rep. Mike Collins hints at Georgia Senate run

Scoop: Rep. Mike Collins is eyeing a bid in the Georgia Senate race to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff .

Republicans are eager to take the seat, and Collins, in a video first obtained by Fox News Digital, argued that Ossoff "must go."

"It was never in my plans to run for the U.S. Senate," Collins said. "I love what I'm doing now. I think I've been effective for my district, the state. I love my district."

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"I mean, just good, solid, hard-working people," he continued. "But I also understand that sometimes you don't do what you want to do, but what you need to do."

Collins, a two-term legislator representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, still did not directly say that he was entering the race, and noted that he would first consult with his family and the President. Donald Trump to determine "where we can be the best, most beneficial help in this mission to make sure that we get a Republican in the U.S. Senate from Georgia."

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The lawmaker became a regular on the road during Trump's campaign last year, and his bill, the Laken Riley Act, was the first to be signed into law by the president during his second term.

Collins argued that Ossoff "doesn't represent the Georgia values that I cherish so much," and noted that Republicans have largely dominated the state in recent elections, including Trump's victory in November.

Still, Ossoff, who is seeking re-election for a second term, was the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the Peach State in about two decades.

Speaking on behalf of Ossoff's campaign, Devon Cruz, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Immediately after voting to take away health insurance from 750,000 Georgians, Rep. Mike Collins now wants Georgians to give him a promotion?"

Cruz continued, "Collins would join a crowded, messy primary that will leave the GOP nominee badly bruised, while Senator Jon Ossoff is building massive momentum to take on whichever Donald Trump loyalist limps over the finish line."

Senate Republicans Now view Ossoff's seat as one of the most viable flip opportunities in the upcoming 2026 midterm cycle, when the GOP hopes to keep and expand its narrow majority in the upper chamber.

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Should Collins dive all the way into the race, he will face off against fellow Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King in the Republican primary.

Carter was the first Republican to jump into the race after Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp , who was considered a heavy favorite to run against Ossoff, opted to forgo a Senate bid.

Recent polling on the race has found that Collins may have an edge against his fellow GOP competitors.

The conservative-leaning Trafalgar Group found in a survey conducted in April with 1,426 respondents that Collins held just over a 23-point lead over Carter, who came in second ahead of Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and King.

However, in a face-off against Ossoff, Collins still trailed the Senator by just under 5 points.

In another straw poll conducted during the Georgia Republican Party State Convention earlier this month with approximately 1,200 respondents, Collins received the support of 39% of those polled compared to Carter's 13%.

Original article source: SCOOP: Rep. Mike Collins hints at Georgia Senate run

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NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani says, "I don't think we should have billionaires."

Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for New York City mayor, has made it clear that he doesn't believe in billionaires.

During an appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press," host Kristen Welker asked Mamdani, who identifies as a socialist, whether he believed that "billionaires have a right to exist."

Mamdani responded, "I don't think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality. And ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country."

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He further stated his intention to work with everyone, including billionaires, to create a fairer city for all.

Mamdani has shaken up the American political scene with a historic landslide victory in the Democratic primary against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Around 10:30 p.m. EST, approximately an hour and a half after the polls closed on a blistering hot day in the city, Cuomo conceded defeat, saying about Mamdani, "He deserved it, he won."

The former governor of NYC did not confirm whether he will run in November but mentioned he will "make some decisions" soon. He is expected to continue on the independent line.

If Mamdani wins the election, he will make history as the first Muslim and Asian mayor of New York City.

Key progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, endorsed Mamdani.

Following his triumph, Mamdani stated, "In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it's done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honored to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City."

Mamdani's victory is seen as a significant win for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, challenging establishment figure Cuomo, who guided the city through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo, 67, also faces nearly a dozen allegations of sexual harassment.

Currently serving as a New York State Assembly member, Mamdani, 33, is a registered Democratic socialist. Born in Uganda to a Muslim-Indian family, he was raised in New York City.

He advocates for working-class issues and has centered his campaign on the cost-of-living crisis. His progressive agenda includes creating affordable housing and free childcare, raising the minimum wage, offering free public bus transit, and establishing city-run supermarket stores, as per his website.

However, President Donald Trump didn't hold back when he lambasted Mamdani in his Truth Social post, branding him a "Communist Lunatic."

"It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous," Trump wrote.

He stated: "He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he's not very smart, he's got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin' Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!"

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