President Trump, while speaking at a campaign rally to gin up support for Georgia Republican senators on Saturday, floated a potential 2022 gubernatorial run by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) to challenge Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
While addressing the crowd at a campaign event for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, Trump noted that Collins was in attendance, commending his efforts to challenge Loeffler for her Senate seat.
Collins came in third in the special Senate general election last month that saw incumbent Loeffler and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock advance to a runoff, with no candidate achieving the 50 percent necessary to win in Georgia.
In addition, Republican Sen. David Perdue will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff in a runoff election. Both contests are scheduled for Jan. 5.
The races will determine which party controls the Senate as President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
“He [Collins] and Kelly had a great primary, a very strong primary,” Trump said Saturday. “They both did fantastically well, and he is on board and he is one of the greatest advocates I’ve ever met in Washington.”
“I want to thank Doug Collins,” the president continued. “Thank you, Doug. What a job he does.”
“Doug, you want to run for governor in two years?” Trump then asked, to which the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
“He’d be a good-looking governor,” Trump added.
President @realDonaldTrump asks @RepDougCollins if he wants to run for governor in 2 years
cc: @BrianKempGA pic.twitter.com/6uu9Q8Dhm3
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) December 6, 2020
A gubernatorial run by Collins, who did not run for reelection in the House this year, would mean a challenge to Republican incumbent Kemp.
Kemp, who took office in January 2019, is serving his first term as governor following his role as Georgia’s secretary of state.
Trump’s remarks came after The Washington Post reported that the president called Kemp Saturday morning and pressured the governor to call a special session of the legislature to overturn the election results.
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WATCH: At a campaign rally in Georgia, President Trump suggested a potential 2022 gubernatorial run by GOP Rep. Doug Collins to challenge Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. https://t.co/6iva3xfe0z
— The Hill (@thehill) December 6, 2020
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