Editing Mac Collins (section)

==U.S. House of Representatives==

=== Electoral history ===
During the 1990s round of redistricting, Democrats in the Georgia state legislature, bent on getting rid of [[Newt Gingrich]], dismantled his old 6th District.  The new map shifted much of Gingrich's former territory south of Atlanta—including Collins's home—to the 3rd District, which at the time was based in [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]] and represented by five-term Democrat [[Richard Ray]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Applebome|first=Peter|date=September 10, 1991|title=Democrats Try to Carve Gingrich Out|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/10/us/democrats-try-to-carve-gingrich-out.html|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=New York Times}}</ref>

Collins immediately jumped into the race. In [[1992 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|1992]], he defeated [[Paul Broun]] (who would later be elected to Congress from the 10th District) in the Republican primary and then defeated Ray in the general election by almost 10 points.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=1994 General Election Results U.S. Congress - 3rd District|url=https://sos.ga.gov/elections/election_results/1994/3rdcong.htm|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=Georgia Secretary of State Election Results}}</ref>

In [[1994 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|1994]], Collins defeated [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Fred Overby 66%-34%.<ref name=":1" />

In [[1996 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|1996]], he defeated [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Jim Chafin 61%-39%.

In [[1998 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|1998]], he ran unopposed for reelection.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Georgia Primary Results -- July 21, 1998|url=https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/07/22/georgia.results/|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=CNN}}</ref>

In [[2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|2000]], he defeated Democrat Gail Notti 63%-37%.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Georgia District 03 2000 Race|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/races/geography?cycle=2000&id=GA03&spec=N|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=Open Secrets}}</ref>

After the 2000 redistricting cycle, Collins was placed in the 8th District. In [[2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|2002]], he easily won re-election by the widest margin of his career over [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Angelos Petrakopoulos, 78%-22%.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rep. Mac Collins - Georgia District 08|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/mac-collins/elections?cid=N00002556&cycle=2004&type=S|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=Open Secrets}}</ref>

In [[2004 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia|2004]], he declined to run for re-election, opting to run for [[U.S. senate|U.S. Senate]]. [[Lynn Westmoreland]] succeeded him representing the 8th District.

=== Congressional Record ===
In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Collins was a member of the [[Ways and Means Committee]], [[Deputy Whip]] for the Republican Party, and was selected by the [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] to serve on the highly-[[classified information|classified]] [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]]. He lost his role as Deputy Whip of the [[United States House of Representatives]] after the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001 when he informed President [[George W. Bush]] that he would not support the creation of the [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA).

Collins was a sponsor in the passage of two bills. The first, H.R. 1121, designated the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 18 Greenville Street in [[Newnan, Georgia]], as the “Lewis R. Morgan Federal Building and United States Courthouse”.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=June 18, 1998|title=H.R. 1316 (105th): To amend chapter 87 of title 5, United States Code, with respect to the order of precedence to be applied in the payment of life insurance benefits.|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/105/hr1316|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=govtrack}}</ref> The second, H.R. 1316, amended chapter 87 of title 5, United States Code, with respect to the order of precedence to be applied in the payment of life insurance benefits.<ref name=":2" />

Collins was focused on commerce, [[tax reform]], foreign trade and international finance, and technology legislation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rep. Michael "Mac" Collins|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/michael_collins/400078|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=govtrack}}</ref>