If Georgia Democrats want to win the governorship, we must let former Republicans in

I was fresh out of college when I worked on my first presidential campaign for the Democratic candidate in 1988.

Over the years, I have worked on campaigns across Georgia and the nation. I have served as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee’s national finance committee and as our country’s United Nations human rights ambassador under President Joe Biden.

I am proud to be part of a family that started the first Planned Parenthood in the Southeast, with a deep commitment to every woman’s right to choose and to have access to the healthcare she needs.

A core belief of the Democratic Party has always been that government has a role to play in improving the lives and economic prospects of every American. The safeguards we rely on to protect our fundamental rights to vote, to express ourselves and to a quality education are at a fragile crossroads, especially in Georgia.

Democrats have been locked out of the Governor’s Mansion since 2003. Winning back the governorship is not just a political goal; it is a moral and economic imperative.

Biden and Obama both evolved in their political positions

Ambassador Michèle Taylor is a lifelong Democrat who served in the Biden administration. She is a professor of the practice at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. (Courtesy)

Winning means building a majority coalition of Georgians. We cannot simply energize our base. We must also reach the middle and serve as a home for moderate Republican voters who reject MAGA and Donald Trump. The political pendulum, with its increasingly wide swings, has become a wrecking ball.

That is why I am troubled by individuals who have argued we should not welcome former Republicans into the Democratic Party. This is exactly the wrong approach for a party that has been locked out of power for so long.

This is not the time for litmus tests; it is the time for growing our tent. The stakes are simply too high to turn people away who join in good faith.

I have the utmost respect for people who can set aside deeply ingrained doctrine in favor of compassion, empathy, and equity. I had the privilege of being with President Biden in 2019 when he reversed his position on the Hyde amendment prohibiting most federal funding of abortions; and we all watched as President Barack Obama changed his position on marriage equality. In both cases, our leaders became the strongest champions of the right for people to make their own choices and to live openly and freely.

Winning means building a majority coalition of Georgians. We cannot simply energize our base. We must also reach the middle and serve as a home for moderate Republican voters who reject MAGA and Donald Trump. The political pendulum, with its increasingly wide swings, has become a wrecking ball.

That is why I am troubled by individuals who have argued we should not welcome former Republicans into the Democratic Party. This is exactly the wrong approach for a party that has been locked out of power for so long.

This is not the time for litmus tests; it is the time for growing our tent. The stakes are simply too high to turn people away who join in good faith.

I have the utmost respect for people who can set aside deeply ingrained doctrine in favor of compassion, empathy, and equity. I had the privilege of being with President Biden in 2019 when he reversed his position on the Hyde amendment prohibiting most federal funding of abortions; and we all watched as President Barack Obama changed his position on marriage equality. In both cases, our leaders became the strongest champions of the right for people to make their own choices and to live openly and freely.

We need leaders here in Georgia who will not only fight for what is right for the people they serve and preserve our reputation as a great place to grow a business, but who also have the skills and knowledge to turn their promises into action. That’s what I have seen from Geoff Duncan, a top Democratic candidate for governor who previously served as a Republican lieutenant governor.

Duncan showed he is willing to fight against Trump

Duncan has shown the moral courage to stand up to President Donald Trump when he tried to steal the 2020 election, to endorse and campaign with Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024, to evolve on choice and gun control, and, long before he became a Democrat, to pass hate crimes legislation that protects every Georgian no matter who they are or whom they love. All at great personal risk to himself and his family.

He knows the job from his time as lieutenant governor, and he knows where allies can be found all across the political spectrum. His campaign pledges are more than aspirational, they are attainable.

Labor unions, elected officials, and community leaders across Georgia are rallying behind his campaign because they recognize what I do: Geoff Duncan is in the best position to win. Don’t just take it from Democrats, though. In recent weeks, prominent Republicans have started to sound the alarm about facing Duncan in a general election, because they know he would be the hardest Democrat to beat.

Georgia is losing access to doctors and hospitals in rural parts of our state. Women are dying because they can’t get the healthcare they need. Too many people are struggling to afford groceries, gas, or their mortgage payments. We need a governor who can get to work on solving the major crises Georgians are facing: affordability, healthcare and Donald Trump.