Former New York Rep. Chris Collins, pardoned by Trump, seeks comeback in Florida [View all]
Source: Roll Call
Posted January 23, 2026 at 10:21am
Republican former Rep. Chris Collins, who represented a Western New York district until he resigned in 2019 and pleaded guilty in a corruption scandal, on Friday announced his comeback bid in Florida. Collins, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020, is joining a crowded primary field for the deep-red seat that Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is vacating to run for governor of Florida.
Collins’ announcement highlighted his early support for Trump during the 2016 presidential primary. “I helped President Trump start the fight in 2016. I’m running for Congress to help him finish it,” he said in a statement. As part of his launch, the Collins campaign announced what it described as a six-figure television and streaming ad buy that will debut during the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl.
Collins is one of several former members from both parties seeking comeback bids this year, ranging from those whose terms ended just last year to several who’ve been out of the political spotlight for more than a decade.
The race for Florida’s 19th District, which includes Fort Myers and Naples, has attracted an eclectic mix of Republican candidates who’ve run for office in other states. Among them are former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who lost a 2022 primary after a scandal-plagued single term; former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis, who’s made multiple unsuccessful bids for Congress; conservative activist Catalina Lauf, who ran for a suburban Chicago House seat in 2022; and businesswoman Ola Hawatmeh, a 2020 House candidate in New York. Other GOP hopefuls include businessman Jim Schwartzel and Marine veteran Mike Pedersen.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/01/23/former-new-york-rep-chris-collins-pardoned-by-trump-seeks-comeback-in-florida/
Clown car full of carpet-bagging GOP loons running for that seat.
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