Former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (Republican) announced on Monday that he is removing himself from the pool of potential candidates to run for president on a third-party ticket supported by the political group No Labels.
Duncan stated, as reported by The Associated Press, "I have withdrawn my name from consideration for the No Labels presidential ticket" following careful consideration.
Duncan, who has frequently criticized former President Trump, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, stating, "It was an honor to be approached, and I am grateful to all those who are engaged in good-faith efforts to offer Americans a better choice than the Trump vs. Biden re-match."
Duncan’s decision comes as No Labels works to finalize a presidential "unity ticket" before the 2024 election. The group recently announced that it has agreed on a ticket but has not revealed the chosen candidates.
The centrist political organization has been considering the option of running a bipartisan ticket for months as an alternative to a Biden vs. Trump rematch, both of whom have recently secured enough support to win their parties’ nominations.
However, in recent weeks, several potential candidates have publicly declared they are not interested in running on a No Labels ticket.
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (Republican) chose to run for the U.S. Senate instead of pursuing a third-party campaign. Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat-W.Va.), and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman have all indicated that they do not intend to run.
Duncan stated that he will focus on "healing and improving the Republican Party with a GOP 2.0 so we can elect more common-sense conservative candidates in the future."
During the 2020 election, Duncan fiercely defended Georgia’s election integrity, even as the state faced alleged election subversion efforts by Trump. Duncan testified before the Fulton County grand jury, which eventually uncovered a wide-ranging Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) indictment against Trump and many of his associates.
