By Brian Brant
(ATLANTA) Republican Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump's false election claims, announced on Monday he would not seek reelection in 2022, per CNN.
"It always feels [the] coldest right before the sun rises," Duncan wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. "I believe that is the exact moment in time the Republican Party is caught in right now, and I am committed to being a part of creating those better days ahead for our conservative party all across this country."
Duncan becomes one of the latest GOP officials to voice his fears over the direction the party is headed, following Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
Although he previously voted for Trump in the 2020 election, he defended Georgia's election process after the former president attacked officials and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger by not changing the election results.
In his announcement, Duncan said on Monday he would be working to help build "GOP 2.0," an organization that he says will "focus on healing and rebuilding a Republican Party that is damaged," through a strategy called P.E.T. Project.
"GOP 2.0 will work hard everyday reminding Americans the values of conservative [policies] through genuine Empathy and a respectful tone," he wrote.