'One of my heroes.' Politicians across GA, US offer condolences after Jimmy Carter's death

Jeremy Chisenhall, The Charlotte Observer on Dec 29, 2024

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The death of former President Jimmy Carter on Sunday led to a swift outpouring of support and condolences from notable figures in both political parties.

President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump issued statements Sunday, and both said Carter was a president who worked to better Americans’ lives.

“He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism,” Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.”

Trump said Carter dealt with “enormous responsibility” that only other presidents could relate to.

“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

‘One of my heroes’

Fellow Georgia politicians, including Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, issued passionate statements following the news Sunday. Warnock referred to the Plains native as “one of my heroes.”

“His leadership was driven by love, his life’s project grounded in compassion and a commitment to human dignity,” Warnock said. “For those of us who have the privilege of representing our communities in elected office, Jimmy Carter is a shining example of what it means to make your faith come alive through the noble work of public service.”

Ossoff said Carter’s work “changed the lives of many across our state, our country, and around the world.”

“The State of Georgia and the United States are better places because of President Jimmy Carter,” Ossoff said.

Former Sen. Sam Nunn, from Georgia, lauded Carter for his “spine of steel and intrepid focus and determination.”

“Colin Powell and I had front row seats to these unique Carter traits in Haiti in 1994,” he said in a statement. “I will never forget nervously watching President Carter negotiate every word of the Haitian military’s peaceful turnover of authority, while the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne prepared to land on the roof of the military headquarters, where we were finishing the agreement.”

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state, said Carter devoted his life to serving the U.S.

“As a true servant-leader, he devoted his post-presidency to spreading the very best of American ideals across the globe,” Raffensperger said in a statement Sunday. “His commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights has left an indelible mark on the world.”

The Democratic Party of Georgia’s Chair, Rep. Nikema Williams, said Carter “leaves one of the greatest legacies of humanitarianism in history.”

“My husband Leslie and I named our son Carter after our 39th president because he showed us that ordinary Georgians can do extraordinary things,” Williams said. “He was one of the greatest public servants of our time – and he was also a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia. From a southwest Georgia town of a few hundred people to the Oval Office, President Carter went from sowing crops to sowing the seeds of peace around the world.”

Georgia Lt. Gov. Ines Owens said Carter “represented small towns like Plains, Georgia and never forgot where he and his family came from.”

Georgia’s Carter had ‘calm spirit and deep faith’

Major national lawmakers outside the Peach State offered their thoughts too, including GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. McConnell said Carter’s “calm spirit and deep faith seemed “unshakable” during difficulties in his presidency.

“President Carter lived a truly American dream,” McConnell said. “A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.”

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, called Carter “one of our most humble and devoted public servants.”

“President Carter’s faith in the American people and his belief in the power of kindness and humility leave a strong legacy,” Schumer said. “He taught us that the strength of a leader lies not in rhetoric but in action, not in personal gain but in service to others.”

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