Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ExploreDemocrats worry too much about Geoff Duncan. What’s their plan for Georgia? “We’re not going to forget he was the lieutenant governor when some of the worst bills that Republicans have passed in the last decade were approved,” said former state Sen. Jason Esteves, one of his top Democratic rivals. “He’s going to have to answer and be held accountable for those bills.” “I can’t hide the fact that I haven’t been a lifelong Democrat. That is what it is,” he said. “There are some issues that I didn’t get right as a Republican. But I am focused on the issues that matter most. I’m willing to say I didn’t get those issues right. I’m also willing to look forward and lead the state.” To him, what matters most is electability. He casts Trump’s second term as a moral threat and argues that his rivals can’t defeat any of the three leading GOP contenders: Attorney General Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones or Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. It’s an argument that could resonate with some party loyalists. State Rep. David Wilkerson, a Powder Springs Democrat who is neutral in the race, noted that the first two Republican governors elected since Reconstruction — Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal — were both former Democrats. “It’s a long way until the primary, but I believe the Democratic base will get behind whoever our nominee is,” Wilkerson said. “With the chaos in Washington and the silence coming from Republicans in Georgia, our voters will want to elect a Democrat.” ‘I got it wrong.’ Duncan is also cranking up his fundraising operation. He said he’s received more than 3,500 small-dollar online contributions since announcing his campaign, even as he courts heavyweight donors. Supporters plan to roll out a high-powered outside PAC. For some Democrats, Duncan’s mea culpa doesn’t outweigh his past. They say they’d rather back any of his rivals — a field that includes Esteves, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb chief executive Michael Thurmond, and state Reps. Derrick Jackson and Ruwa Romman. “I have the utmost respect for a politician of his stature to switch parties. I know the existential crisis he went through, because I know from personal experience,” said Angie Jones, a Democratic activist from Johns Creek who made her own switch from the GOP before the 2016 election. “But I will not support him because of his long history. I have nothing to go on other than who he used to be. And the politician he used to be is not someone I can back.” Still, in the first weeks of his campaign, Duncan hasn’t hit the wall of opposition many expected. At the Democratic Party of Georgia’s annual gala this month, he was greeted with open arms — and selfie-taking activists — as he courted donors and local officials. Cobb County Democratic Committee Chair Essence Johnson said Duncan fielded her tough questions during a sit-down shortly after he announced his campaign. She said she respected his honesty but sharply reminded him that Democrats have long memories. “We remember policies and regulations that hurt our communities just as much as we remember who stood up for democracy when it mattered,” Johnson said. “While there is respect for his stance on truth and accountability, that alone doesn’t automatically translate into broad Democratic enthusiasm.” ExploreGeorgia party switchers face mixed results. Can Geoff Duncan change that? A big tent “I will never say anything bad about Geoff Duncan running as a Democrat because we need and want to really have a truly big tent where we can bring different people together,” Carter said. “We can glean the best of their ideas, and we can put them into action.” Duncan is betting that voters, exhausted by Trump-era politics, will reward competence and candor over ideological purity. Whether that bet pays off depends on a Democratic electorate that has grown more progressive since the days when centrists dominated statewide races — and on whether voters see Duncan’s transformation as a conversion or an act of convenience. Johnson, the Cobb Democratic leader, said she’s still undecided on that question. “That won’t be our last conversation,” Johnson said of her meeting with Duncan. “And he understands that if he wants to reach Democrats, he is going to have to work hard to earn our trust.”
