Republicans campaign with Georgia’s Mike Collins despite racially charged remarks

Republican candidates in key U.S. House races are embracing Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, despite his history of controversial and racially charged remarks.

Collins has represented Georgia’s 10th congressional district since 2022. He is running for a second term this year.

Last month, Collins appeared in a campaign video with Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans that showed the two lawmakers canvassing together. He has since appeared in similar videos for candidates Derrick Anderson in Virginia’s 7th district and Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina’s first district.

“Thank you, @MikeCollinsGA,” Anderson wrote about the video. “Appreciate your help.”

Collins created controversy in May when he shared a video on social media taken during a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Mississippi. The video showed a white, male student impersonating an ape as a way of taunting a Black, female protester. Collins seemed to praise the male student by writing, “Ole Miss takes care of business.” 

The NAACP asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate Collins over the post. Collins said in a statement that he initially did not recognize the racial undertones in the video.

That same month, Collins responded to a news report about a dead worm that was found in the brain of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy by writing, “You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain,” referring to the assassinations of Kennedy’s father and uncle.

In March, Collins responded to a social media post pointing out that a Washington Post reporter was Jewish by writing, “Never had a second thought.” Collins claimed he did not know what the post was referring to. The post has not been deleted.

Kiggans, Anderson, and Buckhout are all running in racially diverse districts where associations with Collins could become a liability. Virginia’s 2nd district, represented by Kiggans, is 22% Black. Anderson’s district is 20% Black and Buckhout’s district is 40% Black.

Both Kiggans and Buckhout have appeared at Black churches while on the campaign trail.

Collins’ Democratic opponent is Lexy Doherty.