Speaking with former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on Monday, who said last week that he had formally defected from the Republican to the Democratic Party, made me think a lot about the Sam Nunn Democrats. Given Duncan’s prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention last year, the move was hardly shocking. Local Republicans were so offended by that that they officially expelled him from the party and prohibited him from going to state GOP functions.
It hasn’t been pleasant, like many breakups.
The biggest shock was when Duncan revealed to me this week on the Politically Georgia podcast that he is not only a Democrat but is also seriously thinking about running for governor in the Democratic primary the next year.
Across the state, you could almost hear the moans of Team Trump Republicans and liberal Democrats. Partisan texts began to arrive: NO! And Governor Duncan?
President Donald Trump, Duncan’s former adversary, dubbed him a complete loser in a social media post and said, “You don’t even have a chance!!!”
However, Duncan is serious about running, and the Democratic Party in Georgia, with a meager 35% popularity rating, has a state full of voters urging it to do anything, perhaps something novel or different. The recently Republican former lieutenant governor, who penned an opinion piece for the AJC in April titled “What it means to be a conservative,” is about as different as it gets.
In the episode, Duncan explained his reasons for thinking about running for governor, despite the fact that the field is becoming so crowded that it is beginning to resemble the DMV waiting room. He claimed that Democrats themselves came up with the notion.
According to him, this comes from those who have dedicated their entire lives to the Democratic Party and who have kept an eye on how the policies are developing. I’m positive that I’m not the best person to do it. It goes without saying that I have been a Republican for a lot of years. However, I do believe that Georgia presents a rare chance for us to take a big breath and re-engage Democrats in the ideas industry.
Finding fresh approaches to party impasses on major topics like immigration, Medicaid expansion, and gun safety are the concepts he is discussing.
“The numbers are just off the charts for folks that want to see Democrats and Republicans move their feet on gun safety,” Duncan stated in reference to firearms. He believed he could advance the concerns in a number of places. His views on immigration and health care are similar.
Duncan’s 2019 vote in support of the state’s six-week abortion restriction, which Democrats strongly opposed, is a clear indication of the divide between him and the majority of Democrats. He claimed that while his views on abortion have not changed, he has altered his mind about the laws that restrict it.
He remarked, “I believe the error was that I took my personal opinions and assumed that every Georgian should have those opinions.” We would have likely established a more common ground than six weeks, and I believe there was a better chance to have a larger conversation with more Georgians.
Will Democrats who oppose abortion accept that? It’s difficult to say. Even believing it is difficult. However, that is the main goal of primary elections if he runs.
Overall, Duncan identified our own incapacity to differ and nonetheless coexist as the largest issue facing American politics.
Since the two are still friends and neighbors, former Republican state representative Mike Dudgeon declined to comment on Duncan’s chances of winning a statewide election. This is an odd illustration of that. Even if their political views are now very different, Dudgeon stated that he didn’t want to sour the relationship.
It may be the most energizing of all the reasons someone has declined to comment. Undoubtedly, it’s the most welcome.
Whether or not there is a Geoff Duncan Democrat in Georgia is up to the electorate. Is a male, white, anti-abortion Republican convert from Forsyth truly wanted? At least we can be certain that voters in both parties have never had that choice.
The only object in the middle of the road is a roadkill or yellow line, according to an old political proverb. Or perhaps it’s a group that has figured out a way to get there.
