Former Reps. Chris Collins and Jesse Jackson Jr. may disagree on many public policy matters, but if each wins back their old jobs in 2026, they can compare hard-earned experience on at least one topic — survival tactics in federal prison.

In 2012, Collins, a Republican and longtime western New York businessman, won a suburban Buffalo House district. But he resigned in October 2019 after pleading guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI.

Collins began serving a 26-month prison sentence in October 2020. During the final weeks of his first term, President Donald Trump pardoned Collins on Dec. 22, 2020.

Collins, 75, has since moved to southwest Florida. He's now seeking the Republican nomination for Florida’s open 19th Congressional District, covering Fort Myers and the Cape Co

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