Geoff Duncan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geoff Duncan
Duncan in 2019
12th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
In office January 14, 2019 – January 9, 2023
Governor	Brian Kemp
Preceded by	Casey Cagle
Succeeded by	Burt Jones
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 26th district
In office January 14, 2013 – August 28, 2017
Preceded by	Carl Rogers
Succeeded by	Marc Morris
Personal details
Born	(1975-04-01) April 1, 1975 (age 50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Brooke Mize ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	3
Education	Georgia Institute of Technology

Geoffrey L. Duncan (born April 1, 1975) is an American politician and businessman. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2019 to 2023, he served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. Before that, Duncan was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Duncan played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He then played professional baseball for six years. His baseball career ended due to a shoulder injury. After baseball, he started a business. In 2012, he was elected to the Georgia House. Duncan became lieutenant governor in 2018. He did not run for re-election in 2022. Burt Jones, another Republican, took his place.

After the 2020 presidential election, Duncan was one of the few Republicans who openly disagreed with Donald Trump. Trump had claimed the election was stolen, which Duncan said was false. After leaving his public office, Duncan became a political expert for CNN. In January 2025, the Georgia Republican Party tried to remove Duncan from the party. Duncan has stated he still considers himself a Republican.

Geoff Duncan's Early Career

Playing Baseball

Geoff Duncan went to Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, Georgia. He then attended the Georgia Institute of Technology. There, he played college baseball as a pitcher for the Yellow Jackets. He played in the 1994 College World Series with Georgia Tech. His team lost in the final game. In 1995, he played summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox. This team is part of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

The Florida Marlins baseball team chose Duncan in the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. Duncan played in Minor League Baseball for the Marlins from 1996 to 2000. He reached the Triple-A level, which is just below the major leagues. He was a relief pitcher when a shoulder injury ended his career. After that, Duncan stopped playing baseball and started a business.

Starting a Business

After his baseball career, Duncan became the chief executive officer (CEO) of Wellview Health. This company focuses on healthcare and wellness. After leaving his public office, Duncan often appears as a political expert on CNN. He also works as a public speaker.

Serving in the Georgia House of Representatives

In 2012, Geoff Duncan successfully ran for a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. He represented the new 26th district. In the Republican primary election, he won by a small number of votes against former legislator Tom Knox. Duncan won 4,507 votes, while Knox received 4,452 votes.

Duncan as a candidate for the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012

Duncan's campaign focused on creating jobs and reducing government spending. He also supported efforts to protect Lake Lanier.

In 2014, Duncan ran for re-election and won against Knox again. He received 61% of the votes. He did not have any opponents from the Democratic Party in the main election. Duncan was re-elected again in 2016. As a state lawmaker, he helped pass "Michael’s Law." This law stops people under 21 from working as bouncers in bars.

Becoming Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

The 2018 Election

On April 10, 2017, Duncan announced he would run for lieutenant governor of Georgia. He left the Georgia House in September 2017 to focus on his campaign. Many people saw him as an "underdog" candidate. He was running against David Shafer, who was a powerful leader in the Georgia State Senate.

On May 22, 2018, Shafer received 48.9% of the votes in the Republican primary. Duncan came in second with 26.6%. Since no candidate won more than half the votes, the election went to a runoff. This runoff election was held on July 24. Duncan knew it would be hard to win against Shafer in the runoff. The runoff election mainly focused on Shafer's past actions and some questions about his ethics.

On July 24, Duncan, who was not expected to win, defeated Shafer. He won with 50.16% of the votes. His victory was called an "upset" by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. In the main election, he defeated the Democratic candidate, Sarah Riggs Amico. Duncan received almost 52% of the votes in the general election, avoiding another runoff.

His Time in Office

Duncan became lieutenant governor on January 14, 2019. As lieutenant governor, Duncan worked on healthcare policies with Governor Brian Kemp. He also wanted Georgia to become a major center for technology.

On December 6, 2020, Duncan and Governor Kemp released a statement together. They explained that it would be against the law to call a special meeting of the Georgia General Assembly. This meeting would have been to choose their own electors for the United States Electoral College. After attempts to change the results of the 2020 presidential election failed, Georgia Republicans passed a new law in March 2021. This law, called the Election Integrity Act of 2021, added new rules for voting.

Duncan (right) with U.S. Senator David Perdue in 2019.

A few days later, Duncan said in a CNN interview that the idea for this law grew from "ten weeks of misinformation" from former President Donald Trump. He explained that Rudy Giuliani had spread false information for hours in committee meetings.

In April 2021, Duncan's chief of staff said he probably would not run for a second term. This was because Duncan had openly disagreed with false claims about election fraud in 2020. On May 17, 2021, Duncan announced he would not seek re-election. In October 2021, he visited New Hampshire to promote his book, GOP 2.0. This book talks about how the Republican Party could move forward after Trump. This trip made some people think Duncan might run for president in 2024. Duncan said he did not vote for either Raphael Warnock or Herschel Walker in the 2022 U.S. Senate election.

After Being Lieutenant Governor

In May 2024, before the 2024 presidential election, Duncan wrote an article. It was titled "Why I'm Voting for Biden and other Republicans should, too." This article appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 6, 2024. He is now a full-time political expert for CNN.

In his article, Duncan said he supported Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. He strongly criticized former Republican President Donald Trump. Duncan described Biden as a "decent person" he disagreed with on policy. He said Trump was "a criminal defendant without a moral compass." After Biden decided not to run, Duncan supported Kamala Harris. Duncan encouraged Republicans to support Harris's campaign. He gave a speech to them at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Removed by Georgia Republican Party

On January 6, 2025, the Georgia Republican Party's executive committee voted to remove Duncan from the state party. This was because he supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections. The Georgia GOP asked news reporters to call Duncan "expelled Republican Geoff Duncan." Duncan responded on social media. He said it was not a good use of the party's time.

Duncan has said he still sees himself as a Republican. He is trying to "save his party from Trump," according to Atlanta's WSB-TV. The Washington Times reported that Duncan would not be allowed to run for office as a Republican.

On July 1, 2025, Duncan spoke on the AJC's Politically Georgia podcast. He again shared his frustration with the GOP under President Donald Trump. He also talked about rumors that he might run for Georgia governor as a Democrat.

Personal Life

Geoff Duncan and his wife, Brooke, live in Cumming, Georgia. They have three sons.

Electoral History