Overview
- Collins, a former Green Beret and ex-state senator appointed lieutenant governor by Ron DeSantis in August 2025, announced his bid Monday.
- He joins a Republican field that includes U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former House Speaker Paul Renner and investor James Fishback.
- Trump has endorsed Donalds, and early polling shows the congressman leading the primary.
- DeSantis praised Collins as a “good guy” but said he has not decided whether he will make an endorsement.
- Late‑2025 filings show Collins with roughly $900,000 in cash on hand compared with about $27 million reported by Donalds’ committee.