Laken Riley's mother and stepfather endorsed Rep. Mike Collins, a House Republican running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, according to a campaign press release.
Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student murdered last year by Venezuelan man Jose Ibarra, who was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
"There is simply no one else in this race who deserves to be in the U.S. Senate more than Mike Collins. He is someone who says what he means, means what he says, and actually delivers results that matter," Allyson Riley and John Phillips, said in a statement, according to the press release. Many reports have previously referred to Riley's mother as Allyson Phillips, not Allyson Riley, as the press release does.
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"What Mike did for our family wasn't about politics and it wasn't about attention or the spotlight. He stood up to do what was right and help bring justice for our sweet Laken. For that, our family will be forever grateful to Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and President Trump," they declared in the statement.
The "Laken Riley Act" was the first piece of legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law after starting his second term earlier this year.
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Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is aiming to win re-election next year in the Peach State, voted in favor of passing the legislation.
"The Biden administration and our current senators voted for open borders that allowed Laken's killer to come to the United States. They were looking out for illegal immigrants instead of looking out for their own constituents," the couple declared in their statement.
Collins noted in a post on X that he is "Incredibly humbled to have the support of Laken's family in our race for U.S. Senate" and that "She is why I'm fighting-and her cause keeps me focused on what's at stake."
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Another House Republican, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is also making a bid for the Senate seat.
