Geoff Duncan, once Georgia’s Republican lieutenant governor, has bolted to the Democratic Party, shaking up the Peach State’s political scene.
Fox News reported that the former GOP stalwart, who served from 2019 to 2023, announced his party switch in a Tuesday op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing irreconcilable differences with Republican leadership and policies.
Duncan’s move follows his vocal criticism of Donald Trump and the GOP’s direction on issues like health care, gun safety, and immigration. His defection marks a rare high-profile shift in a polarized political landscape.
Duncan’s political journey began in the Georgia House from 2013 to 2017, where he built a reputation as a conservative legislator. He rose to lieutenant governor in 2019 but chose not to seek re-election in 2022. His tenure was marked by growing tensions with the GOP base, particularly over his refusal to align with the party’s hardline stances.
The Georgia Republican Party expelled Duncan earlier this year, accusing him of disloyalty to the conservative cause.
They pointed to his endorsements of Joe Biden and, later, Kamala Harris as evidence of betrayal. Duncan’s decision to speak at the Democratic National Convention in August, championing Harris, only fueled the GOP’s ire.
“My journey to becoming a Democrat started well before Donald Trump tried to steal the 2020 election in Georgia,” Duncan wrote in his op-ed.
That’s a bold claim, but it conveniently sidesteps his role in a party he once championed. Sounds like a man rewriting history to justify a leap across the aisle.
“There’s no date on a calendar or line in the sand that points to the exact moment in time my political heart changed, but it has,” Duncan added. This vague soul-searching feels more like a political midlife crisis than a principled stand. Conservatives might argue he’s chasing relevance in a party that’s lost its way.
Duncan’s criticisms of GOP policies are central to his switch, particularly on health care, where he slammed the party’s approach to Medicaid.
He noted that many uninsured Georgians are working but can’t afford coverage or qualify for assistance. Fair point, but his newfound Democratic allies haven’t exactly cracked the code on affordable health care either.
He also aimed a Trump-backed spending bill signed into law last month, claiming it slashes Medicaid funding and cuts SNAP benefits, leaving schoolchildren hungry. It’s a grim picture, but Duncan ignores the bill’s broader fiscal goals, like reining in runaway spending. Selective outrage doesn’t tell the whole story.
On gun safety, Duncan pointed to polls showing support for universal background checks and red-flag laws, which he says the GOP ignores.
Public opinion isn’t policy, though, and Second Amendment defenders would argue these measures risk eroding constitutional protections. Duncan’s pivot to the left smells like pandering to a new crowd.
Duncan’s stance on immigration further separates him from the GOP, as he criticized Trump’s mass deportation plans while advocating for border security and a citizenship path for non-felon migrants.
It’s a nuanced take, but conservatives might see it as a weak compromise that undermines enforcement. The border crisis demands tougher solutions, not feel-good rhetoric.
“My decision was centered around my daily struggle to love my neighbor, as a Republican,” Duncan claimed. That’s a noble sentiment, but it rings hollow when his party switch aligns so neatly with progressive talking points. Loving your neighbor doesn’t mean abandoning principle for political expediency.
Duncan’s sharpest barbs were reserved for Trump, particularly over the former president’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot.
His outrage is understandable, but it’s curious how quickly he’s embraced a party with its laundry list of flaws. Swapping one set of problems for another isn’t exactly a moral victory.
The Georgia GOP didn’t mince words, accusing Duncan of undermining Republican candidates like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and 2022 Senate hopeful Herschel Walker. Their expulsion of Duncan was a clear message: loyalty matters. But kicking out a former leader risks alienating moderates who still value conservative principles.
“The list of reasons why I’m now a Democrat continues to grow,” Duncan wrote, doubling down on his decision. That list might grow, but so does the skepticism about his motives. Is this a genuine change of heart or a calculated move to stay in the spotlight?
