Georgia Republicans Oust Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan
The former state officeholder has openly backed Democrats, criticized colleagues within the Republican Party, and made a speech at the Democratic National Convention.
A Georgian who previously occupied the second-highest office in the state as a Republican has been expelled from the party after months of conflict.
The executive committee of the Georgia Republican Party unanimously voted to remove Geoff Duncan, an ex-state legislator who also held the position of lieutenant governor until 2023, accusing him of undermining fellow Republicans.
In response to his expulsion, Duncan remarked that the party was misplacing its focus on trivial issues such as his removal.
“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace, and global tariffs,” Duncan wrote in part, on social media.
Duncan did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment before publication.
Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon informed The Epoch Times on Jan. 7 that Duncan is believed to be the first member ever expelled from the state’s Republican Party.
“This action is unprecedented,” McKoon stated, “as is Duncan’s continual treachery against fellow Republicans to serve his own personal interests.”
Mike Allen, an Ohio attorney with 35 years of political observation, told The Epoch Times that he had never before heard of a U.S. political party expelling a member.
Allen expressed uncertainty about how the party could enforce its demand for Duncan to stop identifying as a “Republican,” considering the First Amendment’s protections on free speech.
If Duncan defies this request, Allen suggested the Georgia GOP might be able to file a civil lawsuit for “tortious interference,” positing that he is wrongfully interfering in business or contractual relationships.
The Georgia GOP maintains that Duncan has worked as a paid political commentator and insists he should cease “using his false claim of being a ‘Republican’ for personal gain.”
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McKoon warned Duncan that he would be “treated as a trespasser” if he tried to attend any party events.
Later that month, Duncan spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
