Mac Collins

For other people named Michael Collins, see Michael Collins (disambiguation).

Michael Allen (Mac) Collins
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 8th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Saxby Chambliss
Succeeded by	Lynn Westmoreland
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Richard Ray
Succeeded by	Jim Marshall
Member of the Georgia Senate
In office 1989–1993
Personal details
Born	(1944-10-15) October 15, 1944 Jackson, Georgia
Political party	Republican
Religion	Methodist

Michael Allen "Mac" Collins (born October 15, 1944), American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing the Georgia's 8th congressional district (previously Georgia's 3rd congressional district from 1993 to 2003). He was an unsuccessful candidate for Senate in 2004.

Early life

Collins was born in Jackson, and joined a concrete products business run by his father after graduating from high school, eventually expanding it into a ready-mix concrete company. He served in the Georgia Army National Guard from 1964 to 1970. He later began a trucking company that is now run by his sons.

Georgia politics and State Senator

He began his political career in 1977, when he was elected to the Butts County Commission. He was immediately elected chairman by his colleagues and served two terms, giving up his seat in 1980 when he switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. After losing two elections for Georgia State Senate, he was elected in 1988 from a district in Henry County south of Atlanta and served two terms there.

United States Congress

In the United States House of Representatives he was a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Deputy Whip for the Republican Party, and was selected by the Speaker of the House to serve on the highly classified United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Collins was an advocate for tax reform, defense issues, veterans rights and prisoner-of-war families. He lost his role as Deputy Whip of the United States House of Representatives after the September 11 attacks in 2001 when he informed President George W. Bush that he would not support the creation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

1992 campaign for United States House of Representatives

During the 1990s round of redistricting, Democrats in the Georgia state legislature, bent on getting rid of Newt Gingrich, dismantled his old 6th District. The new map shifted much of Gingrich's former territory south of Atlanta—including Collins' home—to the 3rd District, which at the time was based in Columbus and represented by five-term Democrat Richard Ray.

Collins immediately jumped into the race. He defeated Paul Broun (who would later be elected to Congress from the 10th District) in the Republican primary and then defeated Ray in the general election by almost 10 points. Collins was reelected with 65 percent of the vote in 1994 and four more times after that with virtually no difficulty, even running unopposed in 1998.

2004 United States Senate campaign

In 2004, Collins was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for the Georgia Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of Democratic Senator Zell Miller, which went to Johnny Isakson. In order to participate in this race, Collins declined to run for re-election to the House. Collins' seat was filled by state House minority leader Lynn Westmoreland.

2006 campaign for United States House of Representatives

In 2006, Collins moved back to Butts County and made an attempt to return to Congress against Democrat Jim Marshall. Marshall's redrawn district includes none of the territory Collins represented in his first five terms, but three counties that he represented in his last term. It made for one of the most competitive House races in the nation. Collins lost again, by only 1,100 votes.

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Mac Collins papers at the University of West Georgia

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Richard Ray	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 3rd congressional district January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003	Succeeded by Jim Marshall
Preceded by Saxby Chambliss	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 8th congressional district January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005	Succeeded by Lynn Westmoreland