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58 Movers & Shapers 2014 We Are Clayton Magazine Politics A LOOK AT THREE STATE CANDIDATES. WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR? Jason Carter p. 60 Michelle Nunn p. 64 Nathan Deal p. 66 firstbaptist jonesboro

Senator Carter

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Movers & Shapers 2014 We Are Clayton Magazine

Politics

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firstbaptistjonesboro

Georgia State Senator Jason Carter,

the strong Democratic contender in

this year’s gubernatorial race against

incumbent Governor Deal (R), afforded me

a welcomed opportunity of a one-on-one

discussion about his family, experiences

that have shaped him as a leader, his

political priorities, and his love for Georgia.

Georgia is Always on

Jason Carter’s Mind,

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CT | NOV 2014

WORDS DOT TOLERSON

and because Clayton County is in Georgia,

We Are Always on M

r. Carter’s M

ind Too!

Carter was born at Emory University Hospital,

upon graduating from high school he obtained

his undergraduate degree at Duke University

and earned his law degree from the University

of Georgia School of Law. Although an attorney

by occupation, he is a humanitarian in spirit. He

credits a rich lineage of community-involved

family members, specifically his great-grand-

mother Lillian Carter, who “saw an [advertise-

ment] for the Peace Corps on television and

decided to join.” Some thirty years later, Car-

ter found himself continuing his great-grand-

mother’s legacy as a Peace Corps volunteer

stationed in South Africa. He lived in Lochiel, a

village without electricity or running water and

homes built of sticks. He immersed himself

in the culture and learned to speak Zulu and

Siswati while working to bridge racial barriers,

socio-economic inequality, and educational dis-

parity in the rural underserved areas. He was

deeply influenced, perhaps even mentored, by

a local matriarch named GoGo – a Zulu term

for grandmother. He de-

scribed GoGo as an incredi-

ble woman who triumphed

through apartheid and al-

though not formally edu-

cated, her unwavering work

ethic made her a leader in

the village. “I realized what

a remarkable opportunity

we have in this country and what it is that drives

people.”

Although he would not have known it at the

time, the sum of his experiences in South Africa

would serve as a catalyst for his success in de-

veloping collegial partnerships with his peers in

the Georgia senate in spite of party affiliation.

Carter went on to have a meaningful career

in law and formally involved himself in cham-

pioning issues that were important to Georgia

citizens. In 2010 he was elected to the state

senate, where he demonstrated that he was

serious about his oath to positively impact the

community. Although there is a pervasive no-

tion that politics in Washington is disparaging,

his tenure in state government has been quite

the opposite. “My experience in the state sen-

ate has been a positive one. I have made a huge

number of really good friends,” he said thought-

fully. His well documented political career

demonstrates that he possesses a leadership

style committed to the needs of Georgia res-

idents; on occasion making difficult decisions

that may have been unpopular within the walls

of state government, but that supported his

constituents. He has been lauded for taking a

strategic and well-informed approach to deci-

sion-making and taking responsibility for im-

proving situations within his authority. All lead-

ership traits that supporters believe will answer

the call of creating a better Georgia.

Clearly taking a cue from the missteps of oth-

er elected officials who have professed over-

reaching election year promises, the Senator

has opted for a manageable gubernatorial cam-

paign focused on three important areas: stabi-

lizing our local economy to benefit the working

class, education enrichment, and a commit-

ment to restoring ethics across the continuum

of Georgia’s government under his leadership.

As Governor he will continue to advocate for

small businesses to receive the same benefits

as large companies. He will address low wages

and the deteriorated unemployment rate. He

voted to protect the HOPE Scholarship for our

children and vows to continue to stand up for

public education as our state leader. According

to the Public Education Finance Report updated

May 2014, Georgia ranks in the bottom quartile

in education spending in a national comparison.

He and Kate, an award winning journalist who is

currently an educator in the Atlanta school sys-

tem, are dynamic partners driving the message

for the need of both dedicated curriculum fund-

ing as well as support for educators as part of

the formula to transform education. He consid-

ers education as being transformed when “ev-

ery single child in the state has an opportunity

to have the very best education in the state . . .

from the best possible, well supported teacher

workforce.” With both of their children enrolled

in the public school system, this issue is per-

sonal for the Carters as parents. “This matters

for our sons’ future as Georgians.” He has also

been a tireless proponent for stronger ethics

laws to ensure that Georgia has a transparent

government. As governor he plans to lead his

team through a life cycle assessment of gov-

ernment spending, restoring a sense of trust

and integrity.

Optimism does not elude Carter as it per-

tains to the revitalization of Clayton County.

He agrees that the challenges in the education

system and an out-of-sync job growth rate and

unemployment rate are known areas of op-

portunity. He promises that the county will see

education become the state’s first priority. Fur-

thermore, he believes that Clayton County has

much to gain from a “good governor” and that

we stand to benefit from a smart, fresh leader

who is focused on creating

more prosperous oppor-

tunities for residents; the

hope is that the communi-

ty will rise to the occasion

with a strong presence on

Election Day. His message

is clear: Georgia cannot wait

another four years “to start

getting things right.”

In recent years the fraction of me that is cyn-

ical has generalized political interviews as be-

nign conversations that idle in neutral and are

highly scripted. The key ingredients are often a

dash of cringeworthy hyperbole; a subtle un-

dertone of mudslinging with a sprinkle of eva-

siveness – none of which made an appearance

during my interview with Senator Carter. He has

run this race as an every day Georgian, repeat-

edly saying that he will give his all as Governor

and that he won’t leave the public feeling that

he did not do his best. His words were more

than campaign sound bites, they resonated,

and his acts of service for the community have

made him a legitimate contender to be the next

Governor of Georgia.

“After two weeks of coordination, the time

for the interview finally arrived. It began as any

other; we exchanged initial greetings, custom-

ary pleasantries, and I set my expectations and

vision for the interview. As I took position to dive

into my questions something happened that I

was not prepared for, “Well, wait,” Carter politely

interrupted, “Tell me a little bit about you first.” I

am fairly certain that I disguised how stunned I

was that this busy politician would care to know

anything about me. Admittedly, his inquiry came

as a welcome aberration. I gladly obliged, giving

us an unexpected opportunity to unearth our

life parallels which included discussion about

our children’s thoughts of the work that we do

for a living (we both have eight year olds), and

the serendipitous discovery that I lived in the

Netherlands for eighteen years, a country that

colonized South Africa where Carter once lived.

His questions about the path that brought me

to Georgia left me feeling that he had a genuine

interest in the people that make up this great

state. Even though the interview continued on

as a friendly discussion, I prepared myself for

the certainty of an abrupt shift to mudslinging

and sharp political jabs; what I was met with

was a measure of authenticity where the Sen-

ator repeatedly gave me food for thought as

I silently contemplated Georgia’s options for

Governor in the midterm elections on Novem-

ber 4, 2014.

Carter’s rich history is well known through-

out the United States and around the world.

He is a ninth generation Georgian, son of Jack

Carter and Juliet Langford, and the eldest of

former President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s

grandchildren. Carter and his wife of nineteen

years, Kate, live in DeKalb County with their

sons, Henry (8) and Thomas (5). On any given

day you might find he and his wife out at their

children’s sporting events, riding bikes, fishing,

or just playing in the neighborhood; and if you

were to ask Carter he would say his family is no

different from so many other families. Intrigued

by his family tree, I was curious to know how

he deals with his family’s prominence and po-

litical legacy. An undeniably grounded Carter

responded, “My family has never thought [the

prominence] was a big deal. I have very good

friends who have always treated me like a reg-

ular person.”

Jaso

n’s

mes

sage

is c

lear

: G

eorg

ia c

anno

t w

ait an

othe

r fo

ur ye

ars

“to

star

t ge

ttin

g th

ings

rig

ht.”

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Movers & Shapers 2014 We Are Clayton Magazine