Op-Ed – Cobb Voice Contributor
It’s official, Georgia’s 2026 race for governor just became a political clown show.
In one corner, you’ve got Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a man so unpopular with the Georgia GOP that delegates at the state convention passed a resolution barring him from running as a Republican (even though they legally can’t stop him). In the other corner, Geoff Duncan, the former Republican Lieutenant Governor who not only left the party, but ran full speed into the arms of the Democrats.
If this sounds like political theater, that’s because it is. These two men aren’t running to win. They’re running for attention, for money, or perhaps to sabotage real conservative candidates in the process. Either way, Georgia voters should be skeptical. Very skeptical.
Brad Raffensperger: A Candidate With No Party
Brad Raffensperger’s decision to enter the 2026 governor’s race is nothing short of delusional.
Let’s be clear, Raffensperger doesn’t have the support of the Republican Party. In fact, the Georgia GOP publicly declared he lacks the “faith and confidence” of the party. That’s not a slap on the wrist, that’s a complete disavowal.
While state law technically prevents the party from barring him from the ballot, it also means Raffensperger will have zero grassroots support, no infrastructure, and little chance of surviving a Republican primary.
And it’s not hard to understand why. Raffensperger made himself infamous after the 2020 election when he openly dismissed concerns of voter fraud, particularly in Fulton County. While Raffensperger’s office and the media were quick to declare the Georgia vote “secure,” and labeled anyone who even asked questions about the results as an “Election Deniner”, we later learned that in just one investigative instance, over 3,000 votes were double-counted in Fulton county alone for Biden, a number that becomes incredibly significant when you remember Trump lost Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes.
Rather than investigate further or demand accountability, Raffensperger’s office acted like the issue didn’t exist. Even after the Georgia State Election Board confirmed irregularities in 2024 and issued a formal reprimand to Fulton County, no serious action was taken. The board, dominated by Democrats, voted against pursuing any real consequences.
And let’s not forget to mention Gabriel Sterling, Raffensperger’s deputy minion, who went viral for his speech after the 2020 election in which he strongly denounced Trump’s insistence that the 2020 election was stolen in Georgia.
Unfortunately for Georgia, Sterling has now declared he’s running for Secretary of State, but we’ll have more on that in another article.
So while Raffensperger claims to “follow the Constitution,” he apparently has no problem ignoring evidence of fraud and mismanagement in the most critical election of our time. That’s not courage. That’s complicity.
And now, this same man thinks he can lead Georgia as governor? The Republican base isn’t buying it. Nor should they.
Geoff Duncan: From Republican Reject to Democrat Stooge
If Raffensperger is delusional, Geoff Duncan is downright laughable.
Let’s not forget, this is the guy who was expelled from the Georgia GOP after endorsing Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris. He didn’t just criticize Trump, he actively campaigned for the other side. He even spoke at the Democratic National Convention, where he smeared the Republican Party as a “cult.”
He’s an embarrassment to the state of Georgia and you don’t come back from that.
And yet, Duncan thinks he can now reinvent himself as a Democrat and waltz into the governor’s mansion? Georgia Democrats themselves aren’t even taking him seriously. Several strategists have already dismissed his campaign as DOA, Dead on Arrival. They know what this really is: a distraction.
Duncan’s record is unimpressive. As lieutenant governor, he tanked support for conservative policies on health care, immigration, and Second Amendment rights. He spent more time undermining fellow Republicans, like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and 2022 U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, than advancing the party’s agenda.
Even worse, Duncan used his time in office to position himself as a useful idiot for the left. He became a media darling, regularly appearing on CNN and MSNBC to trash his own party, while promoting his failed book, GOP 2.0, a vision of the Republican Party that no Republican asked for, nobody supports, and nobody cares about.
Now he wants to be governor, not because he’s got a real plan, but because he’s addicted to the spotlight. That’s not leadership. That’s narcissism.
So What’s the Endgame Here?
Let’s be honest, neither of these men has a viable path to the governor’s office.
Raffensperger is a RINO (Republican in name only), rejected by his own party, with no support from the base. Duncan is a turncoat who burned every bridge and now finds himself politically homeless, clinging to a party that never really wanted him in the first place.
So why are they running?
It’s a fair question, and the answer might be even more troubling than their campaigns themselves.
Are these two being used to distract conservative voters? Are they plant candidates designed to split the vote or siphon off donors? Or is this just about ego and fundraising, setting themselves up for cable news gigs and book deals?
Whatever the motive, it’s clear that neither of these candidates represents the values or interests of Georgia’s conservative voters. This is political theater, nothing more, nothing less.
Cobb and Georgia Deserves Better
With serious candidates like Burt Jones and Chris Carr preparing to battle it out for the GOP nomination, Georgia Republicans have real choices. Candidates who actually support President Trump, understand conservative values, and are focused on delivering results for working families.
We don’t need distraction candidates muddying the waters. We don’t need discredited political figures trying to rewrite their legacy with media-driven campaigns.
Georgia needs bold leadership into the future, not clowns looking for their next gig.
The voters deserve better. The party deserves better. And Georgia’s future depends on it.
