Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, once a Republican, announced Tuesday he will run for governor as a Democrat, marking a dramatic political shift for one of the GOP’s most vocal critics of President Trump.
In his campaign launch video, Duncan said Republicans “threw me out of their party” for his opposition to Trump. “Now I’m running for governor as a proud Democrat,” he said, framing his bid as a fight against extremism and a call to make Georgia “the front line of democracy.”
Duncan, 50, joins a crowded Democratic field including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former labor commissioner Michael Thurmond. His platform emphasizes expanding health care access and tackling cost-of-living challenges.
As lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023, Duncan clashed with Trump allies over efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results and later declined to seek reelection. He was formally expelled from the state GOP in January after speaking at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in support of Vice President Kamala Harris.
While Duncan backed bipartisan measures such as a hate crimes law, Democrats are expected to press him on past conservative stances, including support for a restrictive 2019 abortion law and election law changes tightening absentee voting. His candidacy will test whether Democrats are willing to embrace a former Republican to win statewide.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
