NEW: Powerful GOP Lawmaker Flips, Joins Democrat Party

A top lawmaker has jumped from the GOP bandwagon and joined the Democrat Party after being expelled from the Republican Party earlier this year.

Geoff Duncan, who previously served as the state’s lieutenant governor, fell out of good standing with state Republicans after he broke with them to endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

In a new interview, Duncan said the election of President Donald Trump convinced him that the party of Abraham Lincoln is no longer the right fit for him.

“That was the lens I looked through,” he told WABE’s “Morning Edition” recently.

“As I got elected starting in 2013 as a state representative, and then as lieutenant governor, it just became so hard at times to try to figure out the right way to do the right thing, as a Republican.”

“Politics is not easy for any party. But for me, it was just a series of events. Starting with how Republicans treated guns. Every time we had a gun conversation, it was kind of: neglect what the masses want. And that’s some sort of gun control.”

Duncan first made the announcement in an op-ed in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, telling readers “loving my neighbor is easier now” as a Democrat.

Before President Trump’s 2020 challenge of the election came to Georgia, Duncan said he witnessed the “shallowness” of public discourse in modern politics, and it tainted his image of the party right as Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Ben Raffensperger distanced themselves from Trump’s claim that the election was stolen.

Endorsing Harris was an inflection point for Duncan, who said his life was turned upside down.

“You know, there was a lot of folks that used to wave at us driving down the street, neighbors and friends, who stopped waving, but to the flip side, there’s a lot more that started opening up their eyes and talking to us and cheering us on,” he said.

Asked if he’s open to running for office again as a Democrat, Duncan said he’s keeping all options on the table.

“I have been receiving phone calls and conversations and cups of coffee from Democrats, independents and even some common sense Republicans who are sick and tired of watching not only the direction of this party, but this country — encouraging me to look into seeking higher office. And it’s something I’ll seriously consider,” Duncan told WABE.

“If Georgia wants to elect somebody that wants to come into the office every day and make a difference, build consensus and turn chaos into conversations, then it’s something I’ll certainly entertain.”