[1] Collins moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1904, and began working for the Southern Pacific Railroad as an engineer, where he remained for 47 years until his retirement in 1961.

[1] In 1918, Collins was on the Tucson Board of Freeholders, and was one of the men responsible for drafting the city's charter that year.

[9][10] He ran for the Board of Supervisors again in 1926, defeating Steve Roemer in the primary, but losing to Republican George Bedell in the general election.

He and fellow Democrat, T. W. Donnelly, the incumbent, were uncontested in the primary, with Collins taking the top spot.

[14] The two Democrats easily defeated their Republican opponents in the general election, with Collins once again taking the top spot.

[19] Collins and Houston both ran for re-election in 1934, taking the top two spots in a six-man Democrat primary.