Georgia congressman backs Rep. Doug Collins for Senate in break with GOP establishment

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Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga., on Monday endorsed fellow Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., in his special election bid for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by retired Sen. Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019, bucking the GOP establishment that has largely been behind incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.

Ferguson is the first member of the Georgia congressional delegation to back Collins, who was one of President Trump's staunchest defenders during the impeachment saga but is running up against a buzzsaw of opposition from within his own party as he seeks to unseat Loeffler, who was appointed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

"When Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff and their crazy entourage went after the President, we didn’t have to wonder where Doug Collins stood," Ferguson said in a statement released by the Collins campaign Monday. "He was on the front lines as the President’s number one defender in the entire country. He did the President and the country a great service and his arguments carried the day."

Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga., was the first member of the state's congressional delegation to back Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., in his U.S. Senate bid against Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga. (House of Representatives)

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The special election for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat does not include primaries, instead pitting all candidates of all parties against each other on a single ballot in November. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff held in January to decide between the two top candidates — a vote that has the potential to decide which party has the majority in the Senate until 2022.

Because of that, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), an organization dedicated to boosting the GOP majority in the Senate, came out hard against Collins when he first announced his run.

"The shortsightedness in this decision is stunning," NRSC Executive Director Kevin McLaughlin said in a statement after Collins first confirmed the Senate bid. "Doug Collins’ selfishness will hurt David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, and President Trump. Not to mention the people of Georgia who stand to bear the burden of it for years to come. All he has done is put two senate seats, multiple house seats, and Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in play."

Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., right, speaks as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley looks on during a re-election campaign rally Monday, March 9, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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But Loeffler has faced her own troubles lately, and is one of four senators who has come under fire for dumping large amounts of stock in the weeks before the coronavirus pandemic caused a crash in the U.S. stock market.

Loeffler has denied wrongdoing or knowledge of the transactions at the time — insider trading by members of Congress would be illegal under the 2012 STOCK Act. She's said that her financial advisers make stock buying and selling decisions for her portfolio.

"I'm informed only after those trades are made and I have nothing in terms of a say on what buys and sells are executed and what the timing is. I'm only advised after it happens — almost concurrent with the public reporting that we do here," she told Fox News' Tucker Carlson late last month. More recently, Loeffler has said she would liquidate all her stock holdings amid the increased scrutiny following initial reports about her financial moves.

Ferguson seemed to imply in his Monday statement that Loeffler's troubles make Collins an even more attractive option for Georgians seeking a GOP senator.

President Trump greets Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., as he arrives on Air Force One Friday, March 6, 2020, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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"Georgia Republicans need to unify behind Doug and leave the distractions and uncertainty of other candidates in the rearview mirror," Ferguson said.

Collins, for his part, complimented Ferguson and appeared to use the congressman's backing to frame himself as the kind of more deliberative legislator Americans think of when they envision senators.

"Drew’s rapid rise to a leadership position came due to his smarts, hard work and ability to serve as an honest broker between all the disparate views held in the House Chamber," Collins said. "I will lean on his wisdom during this campaign as I do in Washington."

Fox News' Charles Creitz and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.