Gov. Kemp endorses Collins in runoff in congressional District 10, which includes Athens

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed trucking executive Mike Collins Thursday in next week’s Republican runoff for Georgia’s open 10th Congressional District seat over Donald Trump ally Vernon Jones.

Collins, son of the late GOP Congressman Mac Collins, finished first in last month’s crowded Republican primary, winning 25.6% of the vote in a district that stretches from Butts County and a portion of Henry County north and east through Athens and Elbert County to the South Carolina line.

Jones, a former state representative, came in second with 21.5% of the vote, qualifying him for Tuesday’s runoff to decide the GOP nominee in the heavily Republican district.

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Kemp, who maintains a residence in Athens while occupying the Governor’s Mansion, said Thursday he will cast his ballot for Collins next week.

"As a conservative small businessman, Mike knows firsthand how the disastrous policies of the Biden administration are hurting hardworking Georgians and communities all across our state,” the governor said. “Mike is strongly pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and will fight hard to put Georgians first in Congress.”

Jones, a former Democrat who once served as DeKalb County CEO, was running for governor against Kemp until last February, when he dropped out of the race and threw his support behind former U.S. Sen. David Perdue. Jones then entered the race in the 10th Congressional District, a seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro, who was defeated in last month’s Republican primary for secretary of state.

Trump remains angry with Kemp for refusing to go along with the then-president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump, who endorsed Perdue in last month’s unsuccessful effort to wrest the GOP gubernatorial nomination away from Kemp, is endorsing Jones in the congressional runoff.

The former president released a recorded robocall Wednesday accusing Collins of attacking Jones with “vicious political ads that aren’t true.”

For his part, Jones responded to Kemp’s endorsement of his opponent by positioning himself as a political maverick.

"Throughout my political career, I have never been the Establishment's favorite,” Jones said. “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.”

Collins said he’s honored to have Kemp’s trust and endorsement.

“Governor Kemp has led the fight to create jobs, lower taxes, support our rural communities, defend our 2nd Amendment, protect the unborn, and stand up to champion our conservative values and deliver results for Georgia families,” Collins said Thursday. “That’s exactly what I plan to do as the next congressman from the 10th District.”

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Gov. Brian Kemp endorses Mike Collins in GOP District 10 runoff