By Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register
Des Moines, IA-Prominent Iowans reacted to the death of former President Jimmy Carter by praising his humanitarian work and remembering his role in cementing Iowa’s reputation as a springboard for long-shot presidential candidates to catapult to the White House.
Carter died Sunday. He was 100.
The 39th president, Carter was elected to one term in 1976. He promised to make government “competent and compassionate,” but his time in office was dogged by a slow economy, an energy crisis and the Cold War.
Register file photo
Despite being a one-term president, Carter went on to win the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his work “to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
In-depth:Why Jimmy Carter has a special place in Iowa history: How he created the Iowa Caucus playbook
Carter’s presidential career launched in Iowa. In doing so, he solidified Iowa as the place for presidential candidates to make their mark.
He arrived in the state months ahead of that year’s caucuses and built a grassroots campaign predicated on face-to-face interactions with caucusgoers in living rooms and cafes and backyard barbecues.
He dutifully introduced himself to Democrats across the state in an effort to raise his profile.
“We went over to the Varied Industries Building, where we thought we’d find some friends at the Democratic booth, and introduced ourselves,” former Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro recalled of one of Carter’s first visits. “He just began shaking hands, and during his handshaking routine he would tell everybody, ‘My name’s Jimmy Carter and I’m running for president of the United States.’”
Mauro, one of the earliest volunteers on Carter’s campaign, organized events and acted as chauffeur for the candidate as he traveled the state and ultimately gained enough steam to overperform expectations in the caucuses.
Carter didn’t actually win the caucuses that year. He came in second place behind “uncommitted,” meaning more caucusgoers were undecided on their presidential preference than were committed to supporting Carter.
But it was enough to vault him into serious contention, and he rode the wave of support and media attention all the way to the presidency.
Would-be presidents have been trying to replicate that springboard effect ever since — traveling to Iowa to build a grassroots network of volunteers and meet Iowans one-on-one and face-to-face.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks: Jimmy Carter’s ‘presidential fortune’ started in Iowa
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said Carter’s “presidential fortune” started in Iowa by using his peanut farming background to connect with Iowans.
“I am praying for his family during this difficult time. I hope they find solace in knowing he is reunited with his wife Rosalynn in eternal rest,” Miller-Meeks posted on X.
Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years, died in November 2023.
Polk County Board of Supervisors Angela Connolly: Jimmy Carter ‘was a remarkable leader’
Angela Connolly, chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, said she and her husband, Tom, met the couple several times while Carter campaigned in Iowa. She said Carter was “instrumental in bringing national attention to the Iowa Caucuses.”
“He was a remarkable leader, founding the Department of Energy and introducing tax incentives for energy-efficient home insulation and solar panel installation — initiatives that Polk County continues to benefit from today,” Connolly said in a statement. “Above all, he was a great humanitarian and served as a role model for younger leaders. He will be truly missed.”
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley: Jimmy Carter and I ‘have much in common’
In a post on X, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he and his wife, Barbara, are praying for the Carter family as “the country grieves.” He said the two had much in common, including “love of the Lord.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds: Jimmy Carter ‘never stopped living his faith through service’
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Gov. Kim Reynolds both recognized Carter’s humanitarian work, for which he was honored more widely after his presidency than for his White House tenure.
“President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country. Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s, President Carter never stopped living his faith through service,” Reynolds said in a statement. “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.”
US Sen Joni Ernst: Jimmy Carter ‘never lost sight of his roots’
Sen. Joni Ernst offered prayers Monday to Carter’s family. Carter “dedicated his life to our nation,” she said.
“From a peanut farm to the presidency, he never lost sight of his roots,” she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “His legacy of service will live on through the causes he championed and those he inspired.”
US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack: Jimmy Carter ‘understood that a life of service is and was a life well lived’
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, former Democratic governor of Iowa, praised Carter’s dedication “to making our country and the world a better place.”
“He understood that a life of service is and was a life well lived. From the Camp David Accords to the Habitat for Humanity homes he built, his legacy will live on and will encourage all of us to continue following his example,” Vilsack said on X
Former Sen. Tom Harkin: Jimmy Carter’s ‘post-presidential years showed America at its best’
Former longtime U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin remembers campaigning with Carter in 1975 in what was then the Fifth Congressional District during Harkin’s first term in Congress.
“There was no group of Democrats too small for him to meet with, and I remember him driving to Atlantic, Iowa, to meet with 10 people on a cold winter night,” Harkin said in a statement. “During his presidency, I vigorously supported his human rights policy, and just as vigorously opposed his grain embargo on the Soviet Union.
“All in all, he was an intelligent, decent, compassionate person, whose post-presidential years showed America at its best. Ruth and I send our condolences to the Carter family.”
After losing his reelection bid to Ronald Reagan, and until well into his 90s, Carter continued working as an observer of elections in developing countries, building houses through the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity and teaching Sunday school at the tiny Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, his hometown.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 22 years after he left the White House.
“I can’t deny that I was a better ex-president than I was a president,” he said with a wry laugh at a breakfast with reporters in Washington in 2005.
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