State leaders from both parties unite in paying tribute to Carter following his passing: ‘A servant with a heart of gold’

Former President Jimmy Carter, the first U.S. commander-in-chief to reach the age of 100, was fondly remembered by state leaders across the political spectrum after his passing.

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he, first lady Marty Kemp and their children “join all Georgians and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter.”

“As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office,” Kemp said.

Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a top potential contender to replace the term-limited Kemp in 2026, added in his own tribute that Georgia, the nation and world “lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a public servant and to put the needs of others before your own.”

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

Jones said he once met the Carters and described them as kind and accepting.

Georgia State Senate Leader John F. Kennedy, R-Fort Valley, said Carter’s life was “largely defined by his servant’s heart” and “steadfast commitment to our country and state.”

“The lord has called home his good and faithful servant,” added Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Effingham.

To the White House, he brought “pragmatic wisdom of a peanut farmer, work ethic of a homebuilder and unyielding faith of a Sunday School teacher,” he added.

Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said Carter “lived a life of courage, fortitude, kindness and grace.”

“He was a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself. Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day,” said Abrams.

Outside the late Democrat’s home state, tributes poured in from all 49 others.

In neighboring North Carolina, Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein called the late president a “principled man” who “represented the best of America: guided by faith and service and dedicated to our nation’s promise.”

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey noted that Carter grew up not far from the Yellowhammer State line, and praised the Democrat for his Navy service and work in taking over his family’s peanut farm after his father, James Sr., died.

“Jimmy Carter not only lived the longest of any former U.S. President, but his life also brought greater dignity to the presidency,” Ivey said in a statement.

“President Cart…

Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn CarteR. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

…

…

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP