Politics & Government
Forsyth Lawmaker Stepping Down To Run For Lieutenant Governor
Rep. Geoff Duncan, R-Cumming, is a former pro baseball player who has served in the legislature for five years.
CUMMING, GA — A Forsyth County lawmaker is stepping down from his state House post in order to focus on his run for lieutenant governor.
State Rep. Geoff Duncan, R-Cumming, filed paperwork in April to seek the lieutenant governor's post, which is being vacated by Republican Casey Cagle. Cagle is running for governor.
On Monday, Duncan announced he'd be stepping down from his post representing most of eastern Forsyth County to pursue the state's No. 2 job full time.
Find out what's happening in Cummingfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In a letter to Gov. Nathan Deal, Duncan wrote that he was resigning his post effective Sept. 18.
"As you are aware, I recently announced my candidacy for Lt. Governor of Georgia. As I have traveled to all
corners of this great state one thing has become clear, it is a full time job!" Duncan wrote in the letter. "The people of the 26th district of the Georgia House deserve an opportunity to choose my replacement in time for the commencement of the legislative session."
Find out what's happening in Cummingfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Duncan's resignation will presumably set up a special election to replace him in the House.
In a written statement, Duncan took a shot at state Sen. David Shafer, the upper chamber's president pro-tem and the presumed front-runner in the race to replace Cagle.
Like the Cumming Patch on Facebook to get more stories like this in your News Feed
"Moving forward, I will expose corruption and wrongdoing," Duncan said. "David Shafer’s Pay to Play political charade will soon be coming to an end."
State Sen. Rick Jeffares, of Duluth, and frequent political candidate Rick "Wolfy" Knox also have announced plans to seek the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor
It's been an honor to serve for 5 yrs. Now it's time for #TeamDuncan to focus on becoming GA's next Lt. Governor. https://t.co/kIyfjQ3e1Q
— Rep. Geoff Duncan (@GeoffDuncanGA) August 28, 2017
A former pitcher for the Georgia Tech baseball team, Duncan played in the Miami Marlins organization for six years, before shoulder surgery forced him out of the game. He has since become a businessman, starting and running first a marketing company, then a healthcare firm out of Forsyth County.
He won his House seat in 2012 by 55 votes.
Photo via Georgia General Assembly
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
