MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — Less than 100 days out from midterm elections, Georgia’s U.S. Senate race took another contentious turn as Republican Congressman Mike Collins and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff traded attacks over health care policy and a controversy involving Collins’ family.
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Collins held a news conference outside Monroe County Hospital in Forsyth, where he highlighted his health care agenda and criticized Ossoff’s record in the Senate.
“That’s just delivering real results on health care in our state in just two short years in Congress,” Collins said. “But unfortunately, Jon Ossoff has done the complete opposite.”
Earlier in the day, Ossoff held a virtual news conference focused on health care, arguing that Georgia cannot address its rural health care challenges without fully expanding Medicaid.
“We cannot solve the health emergency in Georgia without Medicaid expansion,” Ossoff said. “But let me be very clear, Congressman Mike Collins voted for the largest Medicaid cut in history.”
Ossoff also addressed reports involving Collins’ son-in-law, who has reportedly lived on Collins’ property and has been accused of participating in white supremacist groups and sharing antisemitic messages online. Ossoff said Collins has not adequately responded to questions about the reports.
“Until we have some transparency, then we can’t judge the full depth of misconduct here, but he needs to answer those questions,” Ossoff said.
When reporters asked Collins about the allegations during his news conference, he did not directly address the claims. Instead, he criticized Ossoff and Democrats.
“You know we fully addressed that,” Collins said. “But Jon Ossoff refuses to disavow these Democratic socialist movements in our country.”
As reporters continued asking about his son-in-law, Collins ended the news conference without taking additional questions.
The exchange underscores the increasingly heated tone of Georgia’s closely watched Senate race. Most recent polls show Ossoff in the lead.
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