Geoff Duncan

Geoffrey L. Duncan (born April 1, 1975) is an American businessman and politician who is the 12th lieutenant governor of Georgia. He is a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Geoff Duncan
12th Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
GovernorBrian Kemp
Preceded byCasey Cagle
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 26th district
In office
January 14, 2013 – August 28, 2017
Preceded byCarl Rogers
Succeeded byMarc Morris
Personal details
Born (1975-04-01) April 1, 1975
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Brooke Duncan
EducationGeorgia Institute of Technology
WebsiteGovernment website

After playing college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Duncan played professional baseball for six years until a shoulder injury forced him to retire. He went into business and was elected to the Georgia House in 2012.

Baseball and business career

Duncan attended Georgia Institute of Technology, and played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He played in Minor League Baseball for the Florida Marlins organization from 1996 through 2000, reaching Triple-A, when a shoulder injury ended his career.[1] Duncan retired from baseball and went into business.[2]

After retiring from baseball, Duncan and his wife, Brooke, started a small marketing company out of their living room. They ultimately grew the company to a full-scale operation in a 10,000 square foot facility and employed over 100 people. The company was eventually sold, and Duncan later became chief executive officer for Wellview Health, a healthcare and wellness company.[3]

Political career

Duncan was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012.[4]

Duncan announced he would run for lieutenant governor of Georgia on April 10, 2017.[5] He resigned from the Georgia House in September 2017 to focus on running for lieutenant governor in 2018.[6][7] Duncan's campaign was centered around his "Policy Over Politics" message and focused on ethics reform and fiscal conservatism. Duncan criticized large tax increases passed by the state legislature, including what is known as the Gas Tax, considered to be the largest tax increase in Georgia. This became a central issue during the campaign, as David Shafer--Duncan's primary opponent--led the conference committee that wrote the Gas Tax (HB 170) and fought for its passage in the Senate.

On May 22, 2018, Shafer received 48.9% of the vote in the Republican primary with Duncan coming in second place with 26.6%. Since no candidate received a majority of votes, the election then went to a runoff held on July 24.[8] The runoff election focused largely on Shafer's record at the capitol and a number of ethical questions surrounding his candidacy.[9] On July 24, Duncan defeated Shafer[10] with 50.16% of the vote. He narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Sarah Riggs Amico in the general election, receiving nearly 52% of the vote and avoiding another runoff.

Duncan was inaugurated lieutenant governor on January 14, 2019. He is the second Republican lieutenant governor in the state's history.

Personal life

Duncan and his wife, Brooke, have three sons. They live in Cumming, Georgia.[11]

References
  1. https://patch.com/georgia/alpharetta/former-pro-baseball-player-businessman-geoff-duncan-qualifies
  2. Ruberti, Melanie (April 15, 2018). "Former pro pitcher taking aim at Lt. Governor's seat". Newnan Times-Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  3. "Wellview Health adds CEO, executive VP". Nashville Post. April 28, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  4. Bluestein, Greg (November 18, 2016). "Former pro baseball player turned Georgia legislator makes pitch for higher office". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  5. Oldham, Robert (April 10, 2017). "State Rep. Geoff Duncan is Running for Lieutenant Governor". GeorgiaPol. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  6. Bluestein, Greg (August 28, 2017). "Duncan resigns to focus on LG bid—and slams Shafer 'charade'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  7. Hughes, Isabel (May 3, 2017). "Businessman announces candidacy to replace District 26 state Rep. Geoff Duncan". Forsyth County News. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  8. "Election Night Reporting". Results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  9. Salzer, James (March 9, 2018). "Georgia legislator accused of sexual harassment by lobbyist". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  10. Darnell, Tim (August 2, 2018). "No recount in GOP lieutenant governor's runoff; Duncan declares victory". WXIA-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  11. Prabhu, Maya T. (January 14, 2019). "'Outsider' no more, Geoff Duncan set to be Georgia's lieutenant governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by
Casey Cagle		 Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
2019–present		 Incumbent
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