LISTEN: Newly Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan addresses his skeptics at his first in-person campaign event. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

Geoff Duncan

Gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan campaigns at Black Coffee Atlanta on Sept. 17, 2025. The longtime Republican switched parties earlier in the summer.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan made his first campaign appearance as a Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wednesday in Atlanta. 

Duncan greeted voters and small business owners at Black Coffee Atlanta, a Black-owned café, the day after he announced his candidacy. He spoke about his proposed plan for a state "jump-start fund" to help pay startup fees for new small business owners.  

The newly minted Democrat said he is prepared to answer skepticism from voters about his Democratic values, and pointed to his involvement in former Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2024. 

“I've worked as hard as anybody in this state and been as loud as anybody in this race against — pushing back against Donald Trump and his toxic, visceral leadership style that's corroding every nook and cranny of this entire country," he said. 

Duncan has already faced skepticism for his record on abortion. The former lieutenant governor supported Georgia's six-week abortion ban when it passed in 2019. 

Rival candidate and former Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves was quick to bring up Duncan's past support of the law. 

"Standing shoulder to shoulder with Brian Kemp, with Burt Jones, with Chris Carr, with other Republican leaders to ban abortions in this state is not something that can simply be walked back by switching parties or through op-eds," he said in a video posted to X on Tuesday. 

But, Duncan says, his views on the topic have changed. 

"I think the most endearing kind of characteristic of a strong leader is being able to say you didn't get something right," he said. "And for me on the abortion law, I was wrong to think a room full of legislators knew better than millions of women across the state. It's abundantly clear that women deserve the right to choose, irregardless of other people's opinions."

Duncan said he will sign an executive order clarifying legal rights for doctors practicing medicine on pregnant women and introduce legislation to repeal the ban on Day 1 if elected. 

Duncan switched his party affiliation to Democrat earlier this year. He served as lieutenant governor as a Republican from 2019 to 2023.

Tags: Geoff Duncan  Georgia Politics  Governors Race  Election 2026  Georgia