Former one-term Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan has formally left the Republican Party after years of distancing himself from GOP leadership. The move comes after he endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, spoke at the Democratic National Convention alongside Tim Walz, and pushed for left-leaning policies including more tax dollars for social programs, a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and stricter gun control.
“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 in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed.
Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon had previously asked Duncan to stop using the Republican title, and the state party ultimately “banished” him. His reaction in January: “What took them so long?”
Duncan served in the Georgia legislature before being elected Lt. Governor in 2018 but declined to run for reelection. He was briefly considered by the No Labels movement as an independent presidential contender.
The 2024 election cycle has seen other high-profile political defections, including Tulsi Gabbard leaving the Democrats and Joe Walsh switching from red to blue. In Texas, numerous Democrats are leaving their party over immigration issues. Analysts say the political coalitions that once defined both parties are shifting. Duncan has not announced any future political plans.
