Mike Collier
Mike Collier, the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor who lost to Dan Patrick by 5 percentage points, is gearing up for another run.
Collier is launching an exploratory committee to challenge Patrick again next year, though he said it is more of a “confirmatory” committee and that he is “intent on doing this.”
“This is a rematch, and it’s all about holding Dan Patrick accountable,” Collier said in an interview, arguing that two major recent events — the winter weather emergency and coronavirus pandemic — have shown “what poor leadership does in the state of Texas.”
Collier, a Houston-area accountant, said he plans to pitch himself much like he did in 2018, playing the mild-mannered policy wonk to Patrick’s conservative firebrand. But he said he believes he has additional factors working in his favor this time, and not just the recent crises that have put a harsh spotlight on Texas Republican leaders. He has assembled a top-flight campaign team, is better-known statewide than ever and believes President Joe Biden will be an asset, not a liability, next year in Texas.
“Biden, I believe, is going to be a very popular president because his policies make sense, and then we have COVID, and then we have an insurrection, and then we have a power crisis, and all sorts of reasons for people to pay attention,” Collier said. “So you roll all that together, and I think it’s a very winnable race.”
Collier remained politically active after his 2018 run, continuing to criticize Patrick and endorsing Biden early in the 2020 primary. Collier went on to serve as a senior adviser to Biden’s Texas campaign in the general election.
Collier’s campaign-in-waiting includes alumni of Biden’s campaign both nationally and in Texas. Collier is working with ALG Research, Biden’s pollster, as well as Crystal Perkins, the former Texas Democratic Party executive director who was Biden’s finance director for a region that included Texas.
Collier acknowledged he needs to raise more money than he did in 2018, when he collected $1.3 million over the two-year election cycle, a fraction of Patrick’s fundraising. However, Collier said his team has “already been in communication with the donors [for 2022] and we feel very bullish about that.”
I’m a longtime fan of Mike Collier, and I think he’s an asset on the ticket. He’s correctly identified his main weakness from 2018, and appears to be working on it. The thing about running against Dan Patrick is that you can let him grab most of the attention – it’s not like you can prevent him from doing that – but you do need to be able to remind everyone that they have another choice. Collier was a top performer in 2018 because he was an acceptable choice to voters who were sick of Patrick. If he can build on that – and if he’s right about the national atmosphere and President Biden’s relative popularity – he can win. The Chron has more.
If he decides to run, he will be receiving money from and I will encourage others to give.
Every time Patrick says something stupid and crazy (lots of opportunity there!), then Collier can provide his well thought out, fact based, pragmatic idea/solution for the issue at hand.
I gave consideration to voting for Collier last time, based on this:
“Collier, a Houston-area accountant, said he plans to pitch himself much like he did in 2018, playing the mild-mannered policy wonk to Patrick’s conservative firebrand.”
I’m glad I wasn’t sucked in by his pretend persona, playing an acting role.
Here’s the real truth:
““Biden, I believe, is going to be a very popular president because his policies make sense….”
Well, they don’t make sense to me, not at all. Putting Americans out of work by scaremongering about a virus with an almost 99% recovery rate and putting people out of work just out of spite (see the KeystoneXL and wall builders, prohibition on new federal land and offshore drilling, etc.), as well as flooding the US with cheap illegal labor while American citizens don’t have jobs….that doesn’t make any sense to me. That it makes sense to Collier tells me that the policy wonk doesn’t understand economics, for one.
Collier has outed himself as a died in the wool leftist, not some nice, sincere guy you’d want as your neighbor. Not a moderate. Not someone I would ever want setting the agenda for the Texas legislature.
Good. Patrick has dialed the batshit crazy and hypocrisy to 12, and needs to be beaten over the head with his words and actions (or lack of actions) non stop.
Scaremongering about a virus? Turns out a third of survivors have big problems with anxiety and mood disorders.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-third-of-covid-survivors-suffer-mental-or-neurological-problems-study-reveals-11617806452
No one puts people out of work just for spite, more lies from BS Bill. Oil field workers are going to be transitioning to other work that is safer and more reliable, just like coal miners- it is just a fact.
Back to the usual tactics, lying about every Democrat whose policies make sense and make people more relaxed and confident about the future.
And no, he has not died in his wool suit yet 😀
Comrade Bill,
It is “dyed in the wool”.
I am still to this day so impressed with your English as a second language skills. Rarely do you slip up on a nuanced English phrase. Did you study at Moscow State Institute of International Relations?
Your pay grade at the troll farm must be one of the highest.
Fair critiques on spelling, but I’m waiting on some kind of explanation of how over 18,000 illegal kids in cages and borders that are wide open for more makes sense as a policy position.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/03/26/over-18000-migrant-kids-are-now-in-us-custody-and-the-total-is-growing-every-day/?sh=46dd5a9d28b7
Anyone want to take a shot at that? When Trump had a couple thousand kids in cages, he was a monster, that wasn’t who we are as Americans, and Trump was running concentration camps. We all protested right here in Houston, remember? Those poor babies! OMG!
Well now there’s what, 18,000 or so kids in cages, some right here in Houston, and….where are the protestors? Where are the wailing women, crying about the inhumanity at all? Where’s Sandy Cortez in her white pantsuit, crying on cue?
Explain how Biden’s border policy makes sense, please. Failing that, explain how it helps anyone who posts on this board. Maybe there are folks that make money off of this? Does anyone have stock in the private prison companies and other US businesses that make bank off of this? Anyone work for the government and makes overtime wages working on this?
Edit: I would bet that Mike Collier, or his people, read Kuff’s blog. Maybe Mike Collier would like to explain how flooding the country with illegals, keeping 18.000 little burritos in la heladeras, and stopping wall construction make sense. How does it make sense for Texas families? How does it make sense for unemployed Texas workers who will face more competition for jobs? How does it make sense for all the people who live along the border, who are being victimized by the illegals and traffickers?
Either admit you do NOT want border security, and this is a feature, not a bug, or defend scrapping Trump’s policies, which were working great. Illegal entry was down to record lows, the wall was working, and fewer kids and women were being trafficked because everyone knew they weren’t getting in anyway, so why bother?
I’d like to hear from Mike, especially since I almost voted for him last time….before I found out that his moderate shtick was just theater.
BD: “… Trump’s policies, which were working great. Illegal entry was down to record lows, the wall was working, and fewer kids and women were being trafficked because everyone knew they weren’t getting in anyway, so why bother?”
um, here’s a timely tidbit: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/biden-task-force-finds-5-600-files-may-identify-more-n1263329