DC
Doug Collins
RepublicanSecretary of Veterans Affairs| Age | 59 (b. 1966-08-16) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2025-01-20 (~1 yrs) |
| Religion | Christian; Southern Baptist (served as senior pastor at Chicopee Baptist Church 1994-2005) |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science/Criminal Law, North Georgia College & State University (now University of North Georgia), 1988; M.Div., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1996; J.D., Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, 2007 |
| Prior occupation | Baptist pastor (senior pastor, Chicopee Baptist Church, 1994-2005); attorney/managing partner at Collins law firm; U.S. Air Force Reserve chaplain; intern for U.S. Rep. Ed Jenkins |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Navy (chaplain, late 1980s); U.S. Air Force Reserve (chaplain, 2002-present) (Colonel (promoted 2023)) |
| Birthplace | Gainesville, Georgia |
| Marital status | Married — Lisa Collins (nee Jordan), married 1988 |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Gainesville, Georgia |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2006 (Georgia House of Representatives); 2012 (U.S. House) |
| Previous offices | Georgia House of Representatives, 27th district (2007-2013) · Administrative floor leader for Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (2011-2012) · U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia's 9th congressional district (2013-2021) · Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics (February-April 2025) · Acting U.S. Special Counsel (March-April 2025) |
| Committees | Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Cabinet, 2025-present) |
| Caucuses | U.S.-Japan Caucus |
| Leadership | Vice Chair, House Republican Conference (2017-2019) · Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee (2019-2020) · Administrative floor leader for Governor Nathan Deal (Georgia House, 2011-2012) |
| Ideology | GovTrack 2015-2020 ideology chart placed him 173rd of 437 lawmakers scored and 30th most liberal House Republican; voted with GOP ~95% (2014). National Journal ranked him 16th most conservative in 2013. |
| Signature legislation | Music Modernization Act (H.R. 4706, 115th Congress) - primary sponsor; enacted 2018 · FIRST STEP Act (H.R. 5682, 115th Congress) - sponsor; criminal justice reform enacted 2018 |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $1,335,027–$3,220,000 (2024) · estimate
| Georgia Belle Properties LLC - Residential real estate, Daytona Beach Shores, Florida (rental) | real_estate · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2024 |
| Dogwood Strategies (consulting/media firm) - owner | business_owned · 2024 |
| SEP-Certificate of Deposit (Dogwood Strategies retirement) | other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2024 |
| U.S. brokerage money market account (cash) | other · $100,001–$250,000 · 2024 |
| U.S. brokerage money market account (cash) #2 | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) | fund · $1,001–$15,000 · 2024 |
| Horace Mann Annuity (fixed annuity, spouse) | other · $100,001–$250,000 · 2024 |
| U.S. bank cash accounts (#3 and #5) | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Collins Law Firm (dissolved December 2024) | business_owned · 2024 |
Top donors: Wilheit Packaging (and its CEO) ($68,050 (career)) · Fieldale Farms (and its CEO) ($60,850 (career)) · Walters Management (and its CEO) ($56,150 (career))
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.