Indicted GOP Rep. Chris Collins to Stay on November Ballot, Report Says

Indicted GOP Rep. Chris Collins will remain on the ballot in November, The Buffalo News reported Monday, setting up a potentially competitive race in a deep red district in Western New York. Collins will face Democratic Grand Island Town Supervisor Nate McMurray in November in a district President Donald Trump won by 24 points in 2016. Collins’ recent indictment for charges relating to insider trading have shaken up the race. Collins initially said he would run for re-election, but reversed course under pressure from local and national party leaders.  Local GOP leaders had for several weeks been looking for a way to replace Collins with another Republican candidate on the ballot. The news Monday signals that they were not able to find a viable path to replace Collins. Collins’ campaign and a spokesman for the Erie County GOP Committee, the largest county in the district, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Leaders had been exploring removing Collins from the ballot by having him run for another local office in the area. Per New York State law, the only other ways Collins could be removed is if he moves out of state or if he dies. Any avenue to remove Collins likely would have faced a legal challenge from Democrats. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Lean Republican.  Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call on your iPhone or your Android.