{"id":2487008,"date":"2025-09-16T07:26:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T11:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/geoff-duncan-launches-georgia-governor-campaign-as-trump-critic\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T07:27:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T11:27:24","slug":"geoff-duncan-launches-georgia-governor-campaign-as-trump-critic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/geoff-duncan-launches-georgia-governor-campaign-as-trump-critic\/","title":{"rendered":"Geoff Duncan launches Georgia governor campaign as Trump critic"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgeoff-duncan-launches-georgia-governor-campaign-as-trump-critic%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2487008&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former Georgia lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan has announced his candidacy for the 2026 Georgia governor&#8217;s race,running as a Democrat. previously a rising star within the Republican Party, Duncan broke from the GOP after opposing former President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He positions his campaign as a fight against extremism and a commitment to lowering costs for families on childcare, healthcare, and housing.<\/p>\n<p>Duncan, who was expelled from the Republican Party, has been a vocal critic of Trump, blaming him for the January 6 Capitol attack, and criticizing his legal troubles and election challenges. Before switching parties,Duncan served three terms in the Georgia state House and was lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023. He often clashed with fellow Republicans and did not support GOP candidates in recent elections.<\/p>\n<p>During his time as lieutenant governor, Duncan supported healthcare expansion in rural areas and helped pass Georgia&#8217;s first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prosecutor-seeks-death-penalty-and-hate-crime-charges-in-atlanta-spa-shootings\/\" title=\"Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty And Hate Crime Charges in Atlanta Spa Shootings\">hate crimes law<\/a>. In his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-stacey-abrams-created-to-help-herself-faces-record-fine\/\" title=\"Group Stacey Abrams Created To Help Herself Faces Record Fine\">gubernatorial campaign launch<\/a>, he promised to expand Medicaid, address child care and housing costs, and maintain public safety.<\/p>\n<p>If elected, Duncan would be the first Democratic governor of Georgia in 28 years. Georgia has become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/huge-sidney-powell-witness-whom-ny-times-described-as-always-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-concludes-hundreds-of-thousands-of-votes-transferred-from-trump-to-biden-in-all-battleground-states\/\" title=\"HUGE! Sidney Powell Witness Whom NY Times Described as &quot;Always the Smartest Person in the Room&quot; Concludes Hundreds of Thousands of Votes Transferred from ... to Biden IN ALL BATTLEGROUND ...S\">key battleground state<\/a>, swinging between parties in recent national and statewide elections. Duncan faces multiple democratic contenders, while the republican primary includes notable candidates like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr. both primaries are expected to be highly competitive, making the 2026 governor&#8217;s race one of the most closely watched in the country. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Geoff Duncan launches Democratic bid for Georgia governor, vows to &lsquo;stand up&rsquo; to Trump<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2231950\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former Georgia Lt. Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3279098\/former-georgia-lieutenant-governor-geoff-duncan-expelled-gop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geoff Duncan<\/a> launched his campaign for the state&rsquo;s 2026 governor&rsquo;s race Tuesday, announcing he will run as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrat<\/a> and positioning himself as a relentless critic of President<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Donald Trump<\/a> who wants to &ldquo;make<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Georgia <\/a>the front line of democracy.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Duncan, once a rising Republican <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3491784\/geoff-duncan-changes-voter-registration-democrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">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<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3808752\/mamdani-endorsements-new-york-stir-up-democratic-divisions-socialism\/\">Mamdani endorsements deepen Democratic divisions over socialism label<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3808215\/charlie-kirk-honored-during-capitol-vigil-with-bipartisan-showing\/\">Charlie Kirk honored during Capitol vigil with bipartisan showing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3808041\/gavin-newsom-big-tech-agriculture-signing-bills-2028\/\">Newsom risks alienating Big Tech and Agriculture ahead of 2028<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Georgians deserve leaders with the courage to take on Donald Trump and do what&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; Duncan said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Dmr2Z_QkR7c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in his launch video<\/a>. &ldquo;As Georgia&rsquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"Dmr2Z_QkR7c\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A different kind of candidate\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dmr2Z_QkR7c?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3279098\/former-georgia-lieutenant-governor-geoff-duncan-expelled-gop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now-expelled<\/a> Georgia Republican who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3491784\/geoff-duncan-changes-voter-registration-democrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">switched parties<\/a> 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&rsquo;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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A one<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >-time minor league baseball player<\/a>, Duncan spent three terms in the Georgia state House before serving as Georgia&rsquo;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&rsquo;t &ldquo;respect&rdquo; him, and later revealed he refused to vote for either Walker or Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in that election.<\/p>\n<p>As lieutenant governor, Duncan backed policies expanding healthcare in rural communities and helped pass the state&rsquo;s first hate crimes law. In his announcement, he pledged to expand Medicaid, tackle child care and housing costs, and &ldquo;keep Georgia communities safe.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>His campaign video directly tied his candidacy to his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/powerful-l-a-democrat-and-great-friend-of-obama-indicted-on-federal-corruption-charges\/\" title=\"Powerful L.A. ... And \u2018Great Friend\u2019 Of Obama Indicted On Federal Corruption Charges\">long-running feud<\/a> with Trump, who has derided him as a &ldquo;loser&rdquo; and celebrated his departure from the GOP. Duncan called that attack &ldquo;a badge of honor.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never wavered in taking on Trump. So Georgia Republicans threw me out of their party. I was leaving anyway,&rdquo; Duncan said. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m running for governor as a proud Democrat to focus on what matters most to Georgians.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>If successful, Duncan would be the first Democrat to win Georgia&rsquo;s governorship since 1998. Georgia has emerged as one of the nation&rsquo;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&rsquo;s mansion for over two decades.<\/p>\n<p>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&rsquo;s nomination.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3491784\/geoff-duncan-changes-voter-registration-democrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>GEOFF DUNCAN CHANGES VOTER REGISTRATION TO DEMOCRAT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Both parties&rsquo; primaries are expected to be competitive, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched 2026 gubernatorial races.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Geoff Duncan enters Georgia governor race as Democrat, opposes Trump<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2487009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP24235678962355.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32431,39515,60712,52565,44133],"class_list":["post-2487008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-2024-election","tag-campaign-launch","tag-geoff-duncan","tag-georgia-governor","tag-trump-critic"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP24235678962355.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2487008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2487008"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2487008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2487012,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2487008\/revisions\/2487012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2487009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2487008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2487008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2487008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}