AJC: “U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and Rick Jackson haven’t campaigned together since winning the GOP nominations for U.S. Senate and governor”

AJC: “Rick Jackson must publicly condemn white nationalism, denounce Mike Collins’ associations, and stop campaigning with him,” Ossoff and Bottoms said in a joint statement […] If he won’t, Georgians can only conclude that he is willing to tolerate extremism when it serves his political ambitions.”

Atlanta, Ga. — GOP Gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson is fleeing GOP Senate nominee Mike Collins over his white nationalist and neo-Nazi ties. 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted the ongoing toll of GOP U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins’ extensive ties to white nationalism, and today, Georgia Democrats called on Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson to denounce Collins. 

Jackson, however, continues to stay silent and is fleeing Collins. 

As Collins remains embattled by scandal, many are questioning whether his controversies, including his ties to white nationalism and an active federal investigation into the illegal misuse of tax dollars, will drag Jackson’s candidacy down. 

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution recently discussed how Collins “could be dragging Jackson’s chances down” and on FOX5’s The Georgia Gang, strategist Tharon Johnson asked, “is Mike Collins really dragging down the Rick Jackson ticket right now? Is he somebody that maybe Republicans don’t feel that they want to be associated this closely with because of his inability to come out and explain some of these very factual and, I believe, fair attacks on his campaign?”

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms today challenged Jackson to condemn Collins and refuse to campaign alongside him. 

“While Mike Collins refuses to explain or apologize for his ties to white supremacists, Rick Jackson is doing exactly what you’d expect from a political insider: staying silent. Having ties to white nationalists should be disqualifying, and it’s unacceptable not to speak out against it,” Ossoff and Bottoms said in a joint statement. “Rick Jackson must publicly condemn white nationalism, denounce Mike Collins’ associations, and stop campaigning with him. If he won’t, Georgians can only conclude that he is willing to tolerate extremism when it serves his political ambitions.”

These calls follow the recent and sudden replacement of Collins’ top aide, Kip Talley, who was revealed to have worked with white nationalists, including Nick Fuentes, to try to get a Holocaust denier out of jail. Talley originally replaced top aide Brandon Phillips, who mocked a rape victim on Collins’ official account – all while in the midst of an ongoing federal investigation into the illegal misuse of tax dollars. Collins continues to face scrutiny over a number of controversies, including his ties to white nationalism, which has led to growing concerns about Collins’ candidacy coming from within his own party. 

To date, GOP Gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson has not answered whether he still stands by Collins after his “close ties” to a white supremacist were made public.  

AJC: Georgia Democrats press Rick Jackson to denounce Mike Collins
By Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam | August 4, 2026 

KEY EXCERPTS

• U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and Rick Jackson haven’t campaigned together since winning the GOP nominations for U.S. Senate and governor. […]

• Ahead of Saturday’s GOP gathering in northwest Georgia, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms challenged Jackson to condemn Collins and refuse to campaign alongside him.

• “Rick Jackson must publicly condemn white nationalism, denounce Mike Collins’ associations, and stop campaigning with him,” Ossoff and Bottoms said in a joint statement […] “If he won’t, Georgians can only conclude that he is willing to tolerate extremism when it serves his political ambitions.”

• It highlights an uncomfortable political dynamic for Republicans. Ossoff and Bottoms have campaigned as a joint ticket since she won the Democratic nomination. Jackson and Collins, by contrast, have yet to appear together.

• They were expected to campaign together at President Donald Trump’s rally in Marietta last month, but Collins was a late scratch. And they aren’t expected to overlap at the annual Tillman Rally on Saturday in Rome.

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