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U.S. Representative Mike Collins told viewers on Newsmax this week what Republican activists already suspect: “Don’t look at polls, they’re never right.” Collins, the GOP nominee challenging U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff in the Georgia Senate race, pushed back hard against public surveys that show him trailing and insisted the numbers are tightening as his campaign gains traction.
Why Collins is dismissing the polls
On the Newsmax program, Collins argued that surveys “have been tightening and tightening quick ever since we got up on TV,” and predicted Georgia voters will “fire Jon Ossoff.” That’s a classic campaign play: when public polls look bad, you attack the pollsters and rally your base. For Collins, the goal is simple — frame the race as winnable and keep Republican voters motivated to show up. The campaign is running ads, debating aggressively, and betting on a ground game that they say pollsters just can’t measure.
What the public polls actually show
Independent polls still tend to favor U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia survey found Ossoff ahead among likely voters, roughly 48% to 40%. A Rasmussen report showed a similar margin, with Ossoff leading about 51% to 42%. Poll aggregators put Collins behind on average, though some trackers show a narrower gap. Those numbers aren’t fiction — but they also aren’t a prophecy carved in stone. Polls depend on who answers the phone, how likely-voters are defined, and the timing of the survey.
Why polls can be wrong — and why Collins wants them to be
There’s a reason campaigns scream “polls are wrong” when the numbers don’t help them. Polls miss late moves, hidden voters, and turnout surprises. Sometimes pollsters undercount conservative voters or misread enthusiasm. That said, pleading “don’t look” is also a political tactic: it’s meant to blunt negative headlines and force reporters to look at the race on Election Day, not in the press room. If you’re a Collins supporter, it’s a useful pep talk. If you’re an Ossoff backer, it’s a reminder to keep working until the last vote is cast.
Bottom line — watch the voters, not the headlines
Polling has its place, but it is not a verdict. U.S. Representative Mike Collins is right to push back when polls become a self-fulfilling excuse for inaction, and he’s smart to rally his base on TV and conservative networks. At the same time, multiple independent surveys give U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff a lead that Collins’ campaign must overcome. The practical takeaway for readers on both sides is the same: stop treating polls as prophecy. Get involved, vote, and let Georgia decide without letting pollsters on either coast tell you the outcome before ballots are counted. And to the pollsters: fewer predictions, more humility — your credibility could use it.
