Lisa Rayam
,
Lily Oppenheimer
| WABE
August 5th, 2025
Georgia’s former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan grew up in a Republican household, in the deep-South, heavily-red Forsyth County.
“That was the lens I looked through,” Duncan tells WABE’s “Morning Edition,” just hours after announcing that it’s official: he is now a Democrat.
“As I got elected starting in 2013 as a state representative, and then as lieutenant governor, it just became so hard at times to try to figure out the right way to do the right thing, as a Republican,” Duncan tells WABE’s ‘Morning Edition.’
“Politics is not easy for any party. But for me, it was just a series of events. Starting with how Republicans treated guns. Every time we had a gun conversation, it was kind of: neglect what the masses want. And that’s some sort of gun control.”
Why Geoff Duncan switched from Republican to Democrat
Duncan made the announcement in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece, where he writes: “Loving my neighbor is easier now.”
He writes that his journey to becoming a Democrat started well before President Donald Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged in Georgia. While in office, he tells WABE he witnessed the “shallowness” of policies at the state and federal level, and says much of the process of passing legislation was all about winning the next election.
When he slammed Trump and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in 2024, that swiftly ostracized Duncan from the Georgia GOP. He says life immediately after being kicked out of the Georgia GOP was turbulent.
“You know, there was a lot of folks that used to wave at us driving down the street, neighbors and friends, who stopped waving, but to the flip side, there’s a lot more that started opening up their eyes and talking to us and cheering us on,” he said.
Duncan knows he’s going to get pushback from some of his Republican friends, but hopes it’s friendly. As far as pushback from Democrats, he tells WABE that so far, he’s been welcomed with open arms, and that he learned the value of working across the aisle during his time in office.
Duncan doesn’t rule out run for office as 2026 race for governor heats up
When asked if he’ll seek public office now that he’s a Democrat, he’s not ruling any path out.
“I have been receiving phone calls and conversations and cups of coffee from Democrats, independents and even some common sense Republicans who are sick and tired of watching not only the direction of this party, but this country — encouraging me to look into seeking higher office. And it’s something I’ll seriously consider,” Duncan says.
“If Georgia wants to elect somebody that wants to come into the office every day and make a difference, build consensus and turn chaos into conversations, then it’s something I’ll certainly entertain.”
