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President Donald Trump on Friday called former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan a “total loser” after the longtime Republican announced he is joining the Democratic Party.
“Failed former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, of Georgia, is a total loser,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Was never able to get anything done, all he ever did was complain. We didn’t want him in the Republican Party any longer, so I’m told he became a Democrat. Good riddance Geoff. You don’t even have a chance!!!”
Duncan, who served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023 and previously in the state House, revealed his decision in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed. He said his shift came from a “daily struggle to love my neighbor, as a Republican,” and that his “political heart” had changed over time.
He accused Trump of trying to “steal” the 2020 election and criticized Republicans on healthcare, Medicaid, immigration, gun policy, and aid for low-income Americans.
The Georgia GOP expelled Duncan in 2024 after he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in her support.
Duncan told WSB-TV he could make a decision about his political future in the coming weeks or months. “I think Georgians want people who can speak truth to power in the middle,” he said.
He did not specify which office he might pursue, though speculation has centered on a possible 2026 gubernatorial run to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Other announced candidates include Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, and Republicans Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr.
In an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed, Duncan said his shift toward the Democratic Party began years ago.
“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,” he wrote.
“The list of reasons why I’m now a Democrat continues to grow,” Duncan wrote. “Most importantly, my decision puts me in the best possible position each day to love my neighbor.”