Georgia Rep. Doug Collins said Thursday he would be open to taking over Sen. Johnny Isakson’s seat after the 74-year-old Republican lawmaker announced he will resign at the end of the year amid mounting health problems.
“You know, to be considered for that, I'm humbled by folks who are considering that,” Collins, a Republican, told Fox News, adding that filling Isakson’s Senate seat “is something that I would look at.
”It was not clear whether Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was referring to a potential appointment by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve out the remainder of Isakson’s third term, or hinting at a future campaign for Senate.
Kemp, also a Republican, said Wednesday he will name “at the appropriate time” a replacement for Isakson to represent Georgia through the end of 2020, when the seat will be subject to a special election. The winner of that race will then have to run for a full six-year term in 2022.
Isakson, who was last reelected in 2016 and chairs the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said in a statement Wednesday he was leaving the Senate “because my health challenges are taking their toll on me, my family and my staff.” He cited his Parkinson's disease, physical therapy related to a fall he suffered in July, and a surgery he underwent earlier this week to remove a growth on his kidney.
Isakson’s retirement means Republicans will have to defend both of Georgia’s Senate seats in next year’s election. Freshman Sen. David Perdue is competing for a second term in 2020 and is a top target for Democrats who see Georgia as an increasingly competitive state.
Collins on Thursday called Isakson “a mentor” whom he has “followed … for years,” and said “Georgia has suffered an amazing loss” with the news of the senator’s impending resignation from elected office.
“Johnny Isakson is a man of stature. He is one of the politicians that have come forward and shown what leadership and statesmanship is like,” Collins said, adding: “We in Georgia stand on his shoulders because he has provided Republican leadership for so long.”
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine