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Iowa leaders praised former President Jimmy Carter as a dedicated public servant and global humanitarian who used the Iowa caucuses in 1976 to propel the little-known peanut farmer turned Georgia governor to the White House — putting both him and Iowa in the national spotlight.
Carter, 100, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga., more than a year after entering hospice care.
Democratic former Iowa U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and his wife, Ruth, issued their condolences to Carter’s family in a joint statement released Monday.
Harkin campaigned for Carter in 1975 as a freshman congressman representing Iowa’s old 5th Congressional District.
“There was no group of Democrats too small for him to meet with,” Harkin said.
He recalled Carter driving to Western Iowa’s Atlantic to meet with 10 people on a cold winter night.
“During his presidency, I vigorously supported his human rights policy, and just as vigorously opposed his grain embargo on the Soviet Union,” Harkin said. “All in all, he was an intelligent, decent, compassionate person, whose post-presidential years showed America at its best.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a statement Sunday, praised Carter for his humanitarian work, religious faith and prodigious work ethic.
The 39th president, whose one term in office was marred by a slow economy, an energy crisis and Iran hostage crisis, won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
Carter and his late wife also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. He also taught at his hometown Baptist church’s Sunday school in Plains.
“President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country,” Reynolds, a Republican, said. “Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s, President Carter never stopped living his faith through service. His belief in putting God’s love into action has inspired generations of Americans, and Kevin and I are praying for his family during this difficult time.”
Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa lowered to half-staff until sunset Jan. 28, in honor and remembrance of Carter and in conjunction with a proclamation by President Joe Biden. Biden scheduled a state funeral in Washington, D.C., for Carter on Jan. 9 and declared it a National Day of Mourning. He also ordered flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday.
Carter failed to win the 1976 Iowa Democratic caucuses, finishing second behind “uncommitted” delegates, but he outpaced all the other Democratic hopefuls by a solid margin, putting him, his campaign and the Iowa caucuses on the national political map.
He would go on to ride a wave of media attention and support all the way to the White House, solidifying Iowa as a place for presidential candidates to make their mark.
“And just as Ronald Reagan’s nascent media career began in Iowa, so did Jimmy Carter’s presidential fortune,” Southeast Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“A dark horse candidate going into the 1976 Iowa caucuses, Carter used his interpersonal skills and background as a farmer to connect with Iowa voters,” Miller-Meeks posted. “Placing 2nd, he captured the highest vote count of any other candidate, putting him on the map and the rest is history.”
She said she is praying for Carter’s family.
“I hope they find solace in knowing he is reunited with his wife Rosalynn in eternal rest,” Miller-Meeks posted.
Carter’s wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, died in November 2023.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, 91, said while he and Carter “were bit by (a) different political bug,” both shared a “love of the Lord.”
“Pres Jimmy Carter was a man rooted in his faith,” Grassley posted on X. “The country grieves as we celebrate his life.”
Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, reflected on Carter’s humanitarian work and “bettering the lives of others.”
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, said in a statement that Carter “knew what the Sermon on the Mount meant and lived it.”
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a Republican, remembered Carter as “a dedicated man of faith and service.”
“While we mourn his passing, we remember the many lives he touched across the country. I am praying for his family during this difficult time,” Bird posted on X.
Iowa U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, posted on X that Cater “left an incredible legacy in his post-presidential years.”
Gazette correspondent Dick Hogan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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