Geoff Duncan

Geoff Duncan
Duncan in 2012
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
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Brooke Duncan
Education Georgia Institute of Technology
Website Campaign website

Geoffrey L. Duncan (born April 1, 1975) is an American businessman and politician from the state of Georgia. He is a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and is running for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in the 2018 elections.

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, before going into business.[1]

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.[2]

Political career

Duncan was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012.[3]

Duncan announced he would run for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia on April 10, 2017.[4] He resigned from the Georgia House in September 2017 in order to focus on running for Lieutenant Governor in 2018.[5][6] 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 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.[7] The runoff election focused largely on Shafer's record at the capitol and a number of ethical questions surrounding his candidacy. Primarily, Shafer's refusal to release his tax returns, a lawsuit alleging he received nearly $100,000 in free stock from a Georgia company, and a sexual harassment investigation accusing Shafer of "years long" harassment at the capitol. [8] On July 24, Duncan defeated Shafer with 50.16% of the vote. He will face Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico in the November 6 general election.[9]

Personal life

Duncan is married to his high school sweetheart, Brooke Duncan. They have three sons and reside in Forsyth County, Georgia. The Duncan's are active members of Browns Bridge Community Church in Cumming, Georgia.

References

  1. ↑ "Former pro pitcher taking aim at Lt. Governor's seat". Times-herald.com. April 15, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/people/article/20630188/wellview-health-adds-ceo-executive-vp
  3. ↑ "Former pro baseball player turned Georgia legislator makes pitch for higher office". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  4. ↑ "State Rep. Geoff Duncan is Running for Lieutenant Governor - GeorgiaPol". April 10, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  5. ↑ http://politics.blog.myajc.com/2017/08/28/duncan-resigns-to-focus-on-lg-bid-and-slams-shafer-charade/
  6. ↑ "Businessman announces candidacy to replace District 26 state Rep. Geoff Duncan". Forsyth News. May 3, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Election Night Reporting". Results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Georgia legislator accused of sexual harassment by lobbyist". Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  9. ↑ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/no-recount-in-gop-lieutenant-governors-runoff-duncan-declares-victory/85-579799227
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