BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chris Collins’ attempt at a political comeback ended in Florida, with the former Western New York congressman finishing fifth in a crowded Republican primary for Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
Collins received about 7.4% of the vote Tuesday, finishing well behind winner Jim Schwartzel, who captured 29.1%. Catalina Lauf, who got President Trump's endorsement, finished second with 22%, followed by Jim Oberweis and former North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn.
The result marks another dramatic setback for Collins, whose political career in Western New York ended in scandal.
Collins represented New York’s 27th Congressional District from 2013 until he resigned from Congress in October 2019 after pleading guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI. He was later sentenced to 26 months in federal prison. President Donald Trump pardoned Collins in December 2020.
After leaving Western New York, Collins eventually established himself in Southwest Florida and launched his bid for Congress there, seeking to succeed Republican Byron Donalds, who left the House to run for governor. The Florida district is heavily Republican and was considered a safe seat for the GOP.
Collins leaned heavily on his longtime relationship with Trump during the campaign. He frequently highlighted the fact that he was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump for president in 2016, portraying himself as an early ally who could help advance the president’s agenda.
He also put significant amounts of his own money into the race. Collins loaned his campaign millions and had spent about $2.5 million as of the end of July. But the spending did not translate into support. Collins ultimately received just 6,608 votes.
For Western New York, the defeat closes another chapter in the political career of a former county executive and congressman who once appeared to have a long future in Republican politics. Instead, his career took a dramatic turn after the insider-trading scandal, his resignation from Congress and his subsequent prison sentence.
Jerry Zremski, the longtime D.C. correspondent for the Buffalo News who is now director of the Local News Network at the University of Maryland, doesn't think we'll see Collins name back on the ballot.
"I would certainly think it probably is the end of his political career," Zremski said. "One thing that's also noteworthy is that there's never been any mention of a position for him in the second Trump administration... So I do think this is probably the last we're hearing from Chris Collins as a political figure."
The Buffalo News reported Wednesday that Collins said via text, "I’m retired, living in paradise, and looking forward to the next chapter in my life."
