Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan breaks ranks, endorses Biden over Trump
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan outside the Fulton County courthouse on April 14, 2023.
ATLANTA - Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is taking a stand against former President Donald Trump in a new editorial.
Duncan will be voting for President Joe Biden this November, and not the apparent Republican presidential nominee, according to an op-ed which appeared Monday morning in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In his editorial, the former rising star in the Georgia Republican Party puts the blame for the Capitol Riot of Jan. 6, 2021, squarely at the feet of Trump. He also takes issue with Trump stoking conspiracy theories of a stolen election in Georgia.
He wrote in part:
"Yes, elections are a binary choice. Yes, serious questions linger about President Biden’s ability to serve until the age of 86. His progressive policies aren’t to conservatives’ liking.
"But the GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era, leaving conservative (but not angry) Republicans like me no choice but to pull the lever for Biden. At the same time, we should work to elect GOP congressional majorities to block his second-term legislative agenda and provide a check and balance."
Duncan outlined what he believed should be a refocusing of efforts by the Republican Party to get back to its roots, put emphasis on congressional races, and to grow the party beyond its Trump era.
He also wrote that he is disappointed by the number of detractors who have thrown their support behind Trump, singling out U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr.
He goes in-depth into his decision, summarizing his thesis by writing:
"Trump has shown us who he is. We should believe him. To think he is going to change at the age of 77 is beyond improbable."
Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson James Singer was quick to respond to the editorial, writing:
"Our campaign welcomes and is actively reaching out to Americans like Geoff Duncan, who put their country and concern for protecting our democracy before blind loyalty to Donald Trump and his self-centered campaign of revenge and retribution.
"Lt. Governor Duncan and those who share his values of preserving American democracy, standing up for the rule of law, treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, and working to find common ground have a place in President Biden’s vision for America."
FOX News reported on Monday that Biden and Trump are in a virtual dead heat ahead of the two major parties’ conventions this summer.