Waycross rally draws nearly 80
WAYCROSS — U.S. Rep. Mike Collins brought his Senate campaign to The Exchange Club Monday evening, telling a South Georgia audience the contest against Sen. Jon Ossoff is tightening and that turnout — not television ads — will decide it.
State Rep. James Burchett introduced Collins to the crowd of about 80 citizens at the September 21 rally, expressing that the candidate is the best person in the race to represent the values of south Georgia voters.
The Jackson trucking executive and two-term congressman opened with a homespun account of church and family before turning to the three reasons he said he first ran for Congress — opportunity for the next generation, care for veterans, and backing of law enforcement.
“Our kids don’t have the opportunities that we had,” Collins said, recalling that he built his first house at age 22 and started a business at age 24. He and his wife, Leanne, later grew a onetruck operation into a company which now runs about 100 trucks. They have been married 37 years and have seven grandchildren.
Record in the House Collins listed House work he said carried into law: the TRAK Act aimed at synthetic opioids and the Laken Riley Act, which he called the first immigration measure “with any real teeth” in three decades.
He also credited himself with education language in a working-families tax package, including 529 plan changes that allow funds to be used for technical college.
As chairman of the Water Resources and Environment sub-committee, Collins said he pressed the Army Corps of Engineers to finish dredging at Brunswick’s port, advance Savannah Harbor work, protect Augusta’s lock and dam drinkingwater source, and secure $12 million to replenish Tybee Island’s beach.
A sharp contrast with Ossoff
Collins framed the Senate choice as “polar opposites.” He described himself as a blue-collar businessman and Ossoff as a “trust fund kid” who, he said, backed inflationary spending, opposed the tax package, voted to allow boys in girls’ sports, opposed Israel aid amendments, and supported government shutdowns over immigration and health-care fights.
Collins argued Ossoff is positioning for a 2028 presidential run with Democratic Socialists of America allies and that most of the senator’s money comes from outside Georgia.
Those claims are campaign rhetoric. Ossoff’s office was not present at the event.
Polls, hunters and a turnout pitch
Collins said he ran almost no television advertising in the primary and started the general-election race 13 points behind.
He told the room internal and public numbers had closed to four points — within the margin of error — and that national Republican groups, including the NRSC, RNC ground operation and MAGA Inc., had entered the race because they now view it as winnable.
Collins cited Ossoff’s 2021 runoff win of 50.6 percent — about 55,000 votes — and said more than 105,000 Second Amendment activists and hunters stayed home that year, “over twice as many as we needed.”
“This is all about turnout,” Collins said. “Whoever packs the most in there is gonna come out on top.”
Collins asked supporters to make a plan, “drag 10 people with you,” and treat the midterm as a turnout fight.
Early voting begins Tuesday, October 13 with Election Day Tuesday, November 3.
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