Collins Hints of Political Comeback

Macon Telegraph ^ | 8-5-04 | Jeffrey McMurray

[SmithPatterson]

Collins hints of political comeback

JEFFREY McMURRAY

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Mac Collins said he sensed the inevitable days before his defeat in the Republican Senate primary, but he left the door wide open for a return to politics during an interview with The Associated Press.

Collins, who will leave Congress in January after 12 years representing Georgia, said he has some ideas for what he'll do next but won't share them, other than his intentions to spend more time helping the family trucking business.

"For the uncertainty of the future of what I may do in politics, that is close to the chest information I will retain," Collins said. "I'm an old checker player. Every dog has its day."

When asked about a possible return to the U.S. House, Collins said, "Oh, I might. I wouldn't say never. There's another cycle in two years, then two years after that."

Collins said he does not regret giving up his safe seat to run for the Senate. He finished third in the primary, with only 20 percent, behind fellow Rep. Johnny Isakson, who won the nomination, and businessman Herman Cain.

He said he had planned to leave the House even before opting to seek the post.

"It's time to let someone else have the opportunity," he said.

The congressman isn't endorsing any of the candidates for his seat. Republicans Lynn Westmoreland and Dylan Glenn face off in next week's runoff for the party's nomination. The winner faces Democrat Silvia Delamar, a 27-year-old who's gotten little notice in the Republican-rich district.

It seems doubtful Collins would challenge Westmoreland or Glenn for Congress in the future, said Michael Binford, a Georgia State University political scientist. Binford said one possibility in Collins' future might be a run for lieutenant governor, a seat held by Democrat Mark Taylor.

Collins still hasn't formally endorsed Isakson for Senate, although he said he would have backed him in a runoff against Cain if it came to that.

"Johnny did have a record," said Collins, pointing out Cain hadn't served in elected office. "Whether you approve of it or not totally, he did have a record."

Both Cain and Collins tried to make the case they had better conservative credentials than Isakson, so there was some speculation their supporters might unite against Isakson in the event of a runoff. However, Isakson managed to get more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff.

Collins had a hard time jump-starting the fund-raising for his Senate campaign. His $1.8 million in receipts through June ranked a distant third behind Isakson's $5.5 million and Cain's $3.8 million. Isakson and Cain had aired TV ads for months before the primary, while Collins' didn't appear until the week before the election.

On Election Day, some voters said they didn't even know Collins was running until they saw his name on the ballot.

"His campaign just never seemed to get off the ground," Binford said. "It seemed like the Republican Party pretty quickly became cohesive behind Isakson. I think they wanted to wrap it up pretty quickly and easily, and they did."

Although Collins says he doesn't blame the campaigns of his opponents for his defeat, he expressed disappointment that some of his political allies, whom he didn't name, backed his foes early.

"I thought there would be a lot of people who would stay neutral in the race, and obviously they did not," he said. "That's politics. I'm a big boy. I've been in it a long time."

ON THE NET

Rep. Collins: http://www.house.gov/maccollins/