The grandson of former President Jimmy Carter said he will run for governor of Georgia next year, looking to extend his family’s political legacy in the heavily Republican state.
Jason Carter, a 38-year-old Democratic state Senator, told the local Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he plans to follow his grandfather’s path to the Governor’s Mansion in 2014.
“We can’t wait as a state,” said Carter, who will formally launch his candidacy on Thursday. “The bottom line is we can’t afford four more years of an economy that’s not working for the middle class and an education system that’s underfunded. It’s not about politics. It’s about making sure we can get the state that we need.”
Carter, who said he will stay in his state Senate office, will run on a message of education reform. He’ll be competing for the seat of incumbent Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who is already facing two primary opponents.