Geoff Duncan: "I'm the only Democrat" who can beat Republican in governor's race
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Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia, speaks on the third night of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2024. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
The last time a Democrat won a Georgia governor's race was in 1998, when Roy Barnes was elected the 80th governor of the Peach State.
- Twenty-seven years later, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who recently switched to the Democratic Party, is jumping into the race for governor with hopes of being the candidate who breaks the Republicans' streak.
Why it matters: A win for Duncan would further elevate his position as a vocal critic of President Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party.
- It would also, for the first time in more than 20 years, break Republican control of the governor's office and the Georgia General Assembly.
Driving the news: Duncan announced his candidacy Tuesday in a kickoff video, which features a local news segment about his being expelled from the Georgia Republican Party.
- It also includes screenshots of Truth Social posts by Trump calling Duncan a "total loser" after he revealed his switch to the Democratic Party in an AJC opinion piece.
What they're saying: Duncan told Axios that if a Republican is elected in 2026, "Donald Trump is going to be the de facto governor of this state."
- "And quite honestly, I'm the only Democrat in this race that can beat a Republican because I've got Democrats, independents and disgusted Republicans that will show up and vote for me," he said.
Zoom in: Duncan, who in 2018 was elected lieutenant governor as a Republican, was an ally of Gov. Brian Kemp and backed conservative measures in the state legislature, including restrictions on abortion access, according to the AJC.
- Fast forward to 2025 and Duncan says he now believes it's important "that women do have the right to choose."
- On his first day as governor, Duncan said, he would sign an executive order clarifying doctors' ability to provide care to pregnant women "without the fear of prosecution" and introduce legislation repealing Georgia's controversial six-week ban on abortions.
Flashback: Duncan, who did not seek reelection as lieutenant governor, rose to prominence as a vocal critic of false claims peddled by Trump and some of his supporters that the 2020 election was stolen.
- In the run‑up to the 2024 election, Duncan frequently appeared on cable TV criticizing Trump.
- The No Labels movement courted Duncan to run as a third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential race, but he withdrew his name from consideration.
- Last year, he endorsed President Biden's reelection bid and later spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
State of play: Within hours of Duncan's announcement, other Democratic gubernatorial candidates responded.
- Former state Sen. Jason Esteves sent out a statement Tuesday saying "Georgia women won't forget," with a screenshot of Duncan and other Republicans huddled around Kemp as he signed the Heartbeat Bill.
- Ex-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms used the moment to say the state needs a governor who "puts Georgia, not political ambition, first."
What we're watching: Whether Trump will take to Truth Social to post about Duncan's candidacy.