Geoff Duncan weighs whether to run for Georgia governor - as a Democrat

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Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is weighing a run for higher office as a Democrat. But is the party ready for him?

In a conversation with the “Politically Georgia” podcast airing today, Duncan, an AJC contributing opinion columnist, expressed his ongoing exasperation over the direction of the Republican Party under President Donald Trump. He called the “big, beautiful” bill moving through the Senate this week “an abomination of any sort of conservative values.”

And he expressed frustration with the field running for Georgia governor so far from both parties. That includes two Republicans, Attorney General Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to announce his campaign later this summer, and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state Sen. Jason Esteves for the Democrats.

“From the right, I’ve got everybody embracing Donald Trump and that’s just an unacceptable strategy for me for a number of reasons,” he said of the 2026 field. “And on the left, I just personally don’t believe Mayor Bottoms is positioned well to beat a Republican.”

Duncan has been the subject of wide speculation as a potential candidate for governor. Asked if he’s considering a run, he said, “I’ve certainly heard the rumor. And, I’m certainly fielding phone calls from folks across the state that are asking the same question.”

He noted he’s getting calls from people across the political spectrum, but that his days as a GOP candidate are likely over.

“I’m certainly not going to run as a Republican. I’ve given up on them as much as they’ve given up on me,” he said.