During the 2012 Democratic Party primary election, Collins lost to Patricia Van Pelt, receiving 46.4 percent of the vote.
[1] Collins earned her undergraduate degree in sociology and her master's in Criminal Justice from Chicago State University.
Prior to her election as state representative, Collins held various positions in social services and criminal justice agencies.
Ms. Collins co-sponsored FamilyCare, which allows working parents of KidCare-eligible children, to have access to state subsidized health care.
Collins worked on legislation to allow patients to sue health maintenance organizations for harmful and delayed medical procedures.