Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has announced that he’s abandoning the Republican Party and joining the Democrats.
He cited a long-standing ideological rift with the GOP and his personal struggles to reconcile his values with those of his former party.
Duncan, who served as lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023, shared his decision in an op-ed published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He emphasized that his shift towards the Democratic Party was not a sudden move, but rather a process that began long before President Donald Trump raised concerns about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election results.
In his op-ed, Duncan explained that his journey to becoming a Democrat started well before he claims Trump attempted “to steal the 2020 election in Georgia.”
“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 wrote.
He also expressed that the change was rooted in his struggle to “love my neighbor” as a Republican, particularly in terms of public policy.
Duncan pointed to several key policy areas where he disagreed with the Republican Party’s approach, including healthcare, Medicaid, gun safety, immigration, and efforts to aid the poor.
He criticized the GOP’s stance on healthcare, explaining that many uninsured people in Georgia live in working households but cannot afford health insurance due to their jobs not providing coverage or not paying enough to afford private plans.
Duncan argued that, while Republicans often claim that getting a job is the solution to not having health insurance, the reality is that the “wrong job” may provide employment but not the necessary benefits.
“So, the reality is they have a job, just the wrong job,” Duncan wrote.
“One that doesn’t offer health insurance or generate enough spare money each month to afford their own health insurance plan.”
Additionally, Duncan condemned the Trump-backed spending bill passed last month.
He claims the bill would leave Medicaid funding in shambles by cutting billions of dollars from the program.
Duncan also criticized the bill for slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
He claims the cuts are undermining efforts to ensure that children don’t go hungry at school.
On gun control, Duncan also claimed that data show widespread public support for measures such as universal background checks and red-flag laws.
While he didn’t provide evidence to support these claims, it highlights another area where he found himself at odds with the GOP.
He also voiced criticism of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies, which he said “have turned into a lesson on how not to love your neighbor.”
While advocating for secure borders, Duncan expressed his belief that deporting criminals and creating a path to citizenship for other migrants was the proper approach.
Duncan’s decision to leave the Republican Party comes after he was expelled earlier this year by the Georgia GOP, following allegations of disloyalty.
The party’s resolution against him pointed to his endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential election.
This was later followed by his support for former Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out of the race.
Duncan was also accused of undermining GOP candidates like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Herschel Walker.
In August, he even spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris.
“The list of reasons why I’m now a Democrat continues to grow,” Duncan wrote.
He alleged that his decision was ultimately about putting himself in the best position to “love my neighbor” every day.
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