Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan formally launched a Democratic campaign for governor on Tuesday, pledging to "stand up to Trump and his yes men in our state" and to lower the costs of child care, health care and housing if elected.
Duncan, a onetime Republican who gained prominence as an early and vocal critic of former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, declared his candidacy in a campaign video and denounced Trump by name as he entered a crowded Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp.
"I will stand up to Trump and his yes men in our state while bringing down the costs of childcare, health care, and housing so every Georgia family is in the best position possible," Duncan said in announcing his run. In the launch video he highlighted his clashes with Trump and said he "never wavered in taking on Trump. So Georgia Republicans threw me out of their party. I was leaving anyway. Now I'm running for governor as a proud Democrat. To focus on what matters most to Georgians."
Duncan served four years in the Georgia Legislature before being elected lieutenant governor in 2018. He chose not to seek re-election in 2022 and has since moved from public office into private life as a health care executive. The Georgia Republican Party expelled him earlier this year after his public break with party leaders aligned with Trump.
His entry adds a high-profile name to a primary field that already includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond and former state Sen. Jason Esteves. On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has secured an endorsement from Trump and is fending off a primary challenge from state Attorney General Chris Carr.
Duncan has repeatedly framed his party switch and campaign as a response to the direction of the GOP under Trump. After changing his party registration in August, Duncan drew a public rebuke from Trump, who wrote that Duncan was "a total loser" and suggested his move to the Democratic Party was inevitable. Duncan responded in media interviews by saying the former president's attacks underscored his reasons for leaving the Republican Party, adding, "I think he's making my case for me that the Republican Party no longer wants to love their neighbor." He also said, "I'm proud to not be a Republican, especially with him at the tip of the spear."
Duncan has remained active in national Democratic politics since his party switch, endorsing Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential contest and later backing then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she took the top spot on the Democratic ticket in a shift that followed Biden's withdrawal. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention last summer.
Georgia is a key battleground state where national attention, high-profile endorsements and post-2020 election dynamics continue to shape contests for state and federal offices. The winner of next year's general election will replace Kemp, a Republican who has been widely regarded as a consequential governor in recent years.
Campaign strategists and party officials have signaled that Trump’s influence will remain a factor in the state's 2025 elections, even if the former president does not appear on Georgia ballots. Duncan's pledge to confront Trump positions his campaign around an intrastate referendum on the former president's sway within the GOP and the broader national Republican coalition.
Duncan's background includes a stint as a minor league baseball player and work in the health care sector before and after his time in elected office. He has said his priorities will focus on economic issues that affect everyday families, framing his bid as an attempt to address cost-of-living challenges while offering an alternative to candidates aligned with Trump.
The gubernatorial primary season will test whether a former Republican with high name recognition and a prominent national profile can consolidate Democratic support in Georgia and whether Trump’s endorsements and critics will determine the contours of both parties' contests in the months ahead.
