The fact that Rep. Chris Collins was the first member of Congress to support Donald Trump—and is still one of his loudest backers—probably only helps him back home, considering New York's 27th District supported Trump by a wide 60-35 margin. But as we've said before, Collins seems intent on finding how just how safe his perch really is—and now one Democrat is as well: Army veteran Erin Cole, who announced a challenge on Tuesday.
Cole has a long career in government: After serving in the Gulf War, she worked for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Russia and central Asia; for the Commerce Department here at home; and most recently for a state agency working to bring international investment to New York. But as the Buffalo News' Jerry Zremski quips about Cole, "if resumes win votes, she could be a serious challenger."
While her experience gives her credibility, Cole would need much more to put this seat in play. Fortunately, Collins wants to give her the opportunity. Last month, Collins earned some brutal headlines when news outlets reported he had lost $17 million investing in an Australian biotech company called Innate Immunotherapeutics whose lone drug had failed in clinical trials—and which he'd spent years evangelizing about to anyone who'd listen.
That included GOP colleagues in the House (several of whom bought in), as well as, it seems, a whole lot of people in his hometown. Back in January, Collins was overheard in the capitol on his cellphone boasting, "Do you know how many millionaires I've made in Buffalo the past few months?"
Now Innate's implosion—the stock cratered on the drug trial news, and the company acknowledged it has no future prospects—likely has un-made a lot of those millionaires. Not Collins, though: Prior to this debacle, he enjoyed an estimated net worth of $66 million. If the guy who pushed a stock on you is still sitting pretty while you've lost your nest egg, that's a pretty hard thing to forgive.
Of course, Collins may have just been bragging about all the wealth he supposedly created, and he's since claimed that "we all were sophisticated investors who were aware of the inherent risk." But he also may have sullied his reputation with influential folks back home. Cole now has the chance to find out.