'Can't Love My Neighbor as Republican': Georgia Leader Jumps Ship to Democrats

Paul Riverbank, 8/7/2025Georgia Republican leader switches parties, citing inability to align GOP values with loving neighbors.

I've covered party switches for two decades, but Duncan's transformation tells a different story. Unlike the overnight conversions we've seen before, his journey resembles more of a slow drift away from Republican orthodoxy, punctuated by moments of public disagreement with his former party.

"Love thy neighbor" isn't typically the rallying cry you'd expect in a political realignment, yet Duncan wove this theme throughout his Atlanta Journal-Constitution piece. He wrote about struggling to reconcile Republican positions with his evolving views on healthcare and immigration – issues I've watched reshape Southern politics since 2016.

Take healthcare access, for instance. Duncan broke with typical GOP talking points about personal responsibility. Instead, he highlighted something I've seen firsthand covering Georgia: working families caught in the coverage gap, making too much for Medicaid but too little for marketplace subsidies. "They have a job, just the wrong job," he noted, cutting through the usual partisan rhetoric.

The timing feels significant. Georgia's political soil has been shifting – I remember when a Democratic senator from Georgia seemed as likely as snow in July. Now we've got two. Duncan's switch adds another layer to this transformation, though it's worth noting he'd already been expelled from the state Republican Party earlier this year. They cited disloyalty, particularly his endorsements across party lines and criticism of certain Republican figures.

What makes Duncan's move particularly noteworthy isn't just the switch itself – it's how it reflects broader changes in American politics. Having covered similar transitions by Joe Walsh and David Jolly, I'm seeing a pattern: established Republicans grappling with their party's direction, especially post-2020.

But let's be clear about something: party switches rarely happen in a vacuum. Duncan's evolution on immigration policy – supporting both border security and pathways to citizenship – mirrors conversations I'm hearing in Georgia's changing suburbs. These aren't just political calculations; they're responses to demographic shifts and evolving voter priorities.

Duncan wrapped up his announcement with a line about being "in the best possible position each day to love my neighbor." It's the kind of statement that might sound trite coming from a typical politician, but against the backdrop of Georgia's increasingly divided political landscape, it carries a different weight.

Whether this signals a broader realignment remains to be seen. But after covering Southern politics for as long as I have, one thing's certain: the old political playbook in Georgia is being rewritten, page by page.

The Georgia political landscape witnessed a seismic shift last week. Geoff Duncan, who once stood among the state's Republican leadership, crossed the aisle to join the Democratic Party – though anyone watching closely might say they saw this coming.I've covered party switches for two decades, but Duncan's transformation tells a different story. Unlike the overnight conversions we've seen before, his journey resembles more of a slow drift away from Republican orthodoxy, punctuated by moments of public disagreement with his former party."Love thy neighbor" isn't typically the rallying cry you'd expect in a political realignment, yet Duncan wove this theme throughout his Atlanta Journal-Constitution piece. He wrote about struggling to reconcile Republican positions with his evolving views on healthcare and immigration – issues I've watched reshape Southern politics since 2016.Take healthcare access, for instance. Duncan broke with typical GOP talking points about personal responsibility. Instead, he highlighted something I've seen firsthand covering Georgia: working families caught in the coverage gap, making too much for Medicaid but too little for marketplace subsidies. "They have a job, just the wrong job," he noted, cutting through the usual partisan rhetoric.The timing feels significant. Georgia's political soil has been shifting – I remember when a Democratic senator from Georgia seemed as likely as snow in July. Now we've got two. Duncan's switch adds another layer to this transformation, though it's worth noting he'd already been expelled from the state Republican Party earlier this year. They cited disloyalty, particularly his endorsements across party lines and criticism of certain Republican figures.What makes Duncan's move particularly noteworthy isn't just the switch itself – it's how it reflects broader changes in American politics. Having covered similar transitions by Joe Walsh and David Jolly, I'm seeing a pattern: established Republicans grappling with their party's direction, especially post-2020.But let's be clear about something: party switches rarely happen in a vacuum. Duncan's evolution on immigration policy – supporting both border security and pathways to citizenship – mirrors conversations I'm hearing in Georgia's changing suburbs. These aren't just political calculations; they're responses to demographic shifts and evolving voter priorities.Duncan wrapped up his announcement with a line about being "in the best possible position each day to love my neighbor." It's the kind of statement that might sound trite coming from a typical politician, but against the backdrop of Georgia's increasingly divided political landscape, it carries a different weight.Whether this signals a broader realignment remains to be seen. But after covering Southern politics for as long as I have, one thing's certain: the old political playbook in Georgia is being rewritten, page by page.