Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan launched his campaign for the state’s 2026 governor’s race Tuesday, announcing he will run as a Democrat and positioning himself as a relentless critic of President Donald Trump who wants to “make Georgia the front line of democracy.” 

Duncan, once a rising Republican who broke with his party after Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election, cast his campaign as a fight against extremism and a chance to lower family costs.

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“Georgians deserve leaders with the courage to take on Donald Trump and do what’s right,” Duncan said in his launch video. “As Georgia’s first Democratic governor in 28 years, I will stand up to Trump and his yes men in our state while bringing down the costs of childcare, healthcare, and housing so every Georgia family is in the best position possible.”

The now-expelled Georgia Republican who switched parties has accused Trump of inciting the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, ridiculed him over the New York hush money indictment, and blasted him for questioning Biden’s win in the Peach State during the 2020 elections. Duncan even contemplated mounting a third-party challenge to Trump as a No Labels candidate last year before withdrawing his name from consideration. 

A one-time minor league baseball player, Duncan spent three terms in the Georgia state House before serving as Georgia’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023. Throughout his tenure, he frequently clashed with fellow Republicans. He publicly criticized GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in 2022, saying he didn’t “respect” him, and later revealed he refused to vote for either Walker or Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in that election.

As lieutenant governor, Duncan backed policies expanding healthcare in rural communities and helped pass the state’s first hate crimes law. In his announcement, he pledged to expand Medicaid, tackle child care and housing costs, and “keep Georgia communities safe.”

His campaign video directly tied his candidacy to his long-running feud with Trump, who has derided him as a “loser” and celebrated his departure from the GOP. Duncan called that attack “a badge of honor.” 

“I’ve never wavered in taking on Trump. So Georgia Republicans threw me out of their party. I was leaving anyway,” Duncan said. “Now I’m running for governor as a proud Democrat to focus on what matters most to Georgians.”

If successful, Duncan would be the first Democrat to win Georgia’s governorship since 1998. Georgia has emerged as one of the nation’s most pivotal battlegrounds, flipping to President Joe Biden in 2020 and back to Trump in 2024, and delivering Democrats two Senate seats, even as Republicans have held the governor’s mansion for over two decades.

He joins a crowded Democratic field that includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, and pastor Olujimi Brown. On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, business executive Clark Dean, and National Guard officer Ken Yasger are vying for their party’s nomination.

GEOFF DUNCAN CHANGES VOTER REGISTRATION TO DEMOCRAT

Both parties’ primaries are expected to be competitive, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched 2026 gubernatorial races.