Geoff Duncan, a longtime Republican lieutenant governor and state representative, switched parties this year and is running for governor next year as a Democrat.
“A big turning point for me was in the aftermath of George Floyd being murdered,” Duncan said. “I walked into the Republican caucus, and I said, ‘Hey, I want to pass a hate crimes bill. It’s necessary; it’s time.’ I [was met with] resistance. So, I walked into a Democratic caucus meeting and I said, ‘You know what, I want to work with you guys to pass this.’ And we did.”
Recently, Midtown parent Jeff Reine hosted an event for Duncan to speak to in-town voters. Reine and attendees wanted to get the opportunity to speak with Duncan and see his views on current issues, given his party switch.
“First and foremost, I was curious to understand [Duncan’s] journey from GOP lieutenant governor to Democratic candidate,” Reine said. “It took a lot of bravery for him to move parties, and I hoped to learn more about it.”
Duncan’s political director Ucha Ndukwe explained the process of beginning his campaign and spreading his message.
“We are working to focus conversations on practical solutions that will actually help families manage their lives rather than on partisan conflict,” Ndukwe said. “The challenge is that outrage is loud, but the desire for stability is widespread and real. We are building into that.”
Aligning with many other Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Duncan emphasized healthcare, economics and President Donald Trump.
Beginning with affordability, Duncan highlighted the importance of the issue to all Georgians, no matter their economic status.
“The affordability issue is whether you’re living check to check or you own a business,” Duncan said. “The affordability crisis is real. There’s some folks in [Morningside] or in this area that are in the checkout line in the grocery store now that are realizing they can’t pay for all of their groceries. Some folks can’t afford childcare, so they can’t go back to work. There are some folks who can’t afford a roof over their head. We’ve got to work as a state, we’ve got to pick up the slack from the federal government who’s totally turned their back on us. It’s hard; it’s complicated; it’s expensive, but it’s meaningful work to do.”
Duncan’s healthcare concerns in Georgia are Medicaid cuts, subsidies and rising insurance rates.
“Everybody’s getting the bad news,” Duncan said. “Either you’re being pulled off the Medicaid rolls, your ACA [Affordable Care Act] subsidies are disappearing or your rates like mine are up to 32,000 a year.”
Duncan believes the best way to not only have a Democrat win the election but to enact real, plausible change is to stay focused for the next 12 months and connect with Georgians directly.
“We’re all upset; we all see what’s going on,” Duncan said. “This is real and tangible, but to win as Democrats, we’ve got to stay laser-focused. We got to knock on doors, we got to make phone calls, we got to write checks. If we do this right, Georgia, not only are we going to set ourselves off in a better direction, we are going to set the country off in the right direction.”
Despite Duncan’s support of the Riley Gaines Act, involving the inclusion of transgender women in female sports, he believes in the inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community. Duncan highlights the harm exclusions have caused members of the community.
“I’m very inclusive,” Duncan said. “I think we ought to be a welcoming state. I think that so often, I don’t want to call out both sides to have politicized that community in a way that is unfair to kids and to folks just tackling life, dealing with it themselves, they should have every opportunity, and we should never over politicize the issues.”
Ndukwe highlights the most important part of Duncan’s campaign and candidacy, creating a better Georgia for everyone.
“The combination of integrity and serious policy focus is what convinced me to be a part of this world,” Ndukwe said. “[Geoff’s] focus is on responsible governance and making sure Georgia remains a place where families can build stable and hopeful futures.”
Many Democrats have had concerns about Duncan’s shift and if his ideals and plans for Georgia’s future truly represent those of Democrats, but Reine said the event helped to clarify that.
“Personally, I came away quite impressed with Geoff and believe that he wants what’s best for Georgia and to pursue policies that the vast majority of Georgians support, including standing up to presidential overreach,” Reine said.
Duncan stresses, highlighting his party shift, that a non-partisan future for Georgia is important. It will help enact change better and focus on what matters most for the people, according to him.
“I wasn’t a hyperpartisan person,” Duncan said. “I didn’t like the polarizing effects of politics. I realized that the words on the page mattered, [and] I was going to pay attention to [those] words. I also realized the value of being bipartisan, because all the bills that seemed to pass that were down party lines made a good point, but they never really made a difference.”
