President Carter's grandson will not run for governor

ATLANTA — Jason Carter, the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor in 2014, said Wednesday that he will not be a candidate for governor in 2018.

“I’ve decided not to run for governor in 2018,” Carter said. “My kids are 10 and 8 years old. This is sort of prime dad time, and I’m looking forward to doing that over the next couple of years.”

Carter ran a strong race for governor in 2014, but eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal.

Carter is the grandson of former Georgia Gov. and President Jimmy Carter, and after his election loss, he became chairman of the board at the Carter Center.

He said that takes up much of his time, as well. He just returned from a trip to Ethiopia, where the Carter Center has about 300 employees.

“The first 35 years are over. The next 35 are beginning,” Carter said. “The level of excitement and the things that are happening right there at the Carter Center are making it difficult for me, essentially impossible, for me to devote the kind of time and energy that I would need to devote to run for governor.”

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State Rep. Stacy Evans, of Cobb County, has already announced a bid to win the Democratic nomination while State Rep. Stacy Abrams, of Atlanta, is already strongly considering a run.

Carter said he wouldn’t endorse either candidate, but believes either would make excellent governors.

He also believes Democrat Jon Ossoff has a real chance of beating Republican Karen Handel in the race for the Sixth Congressional District.

Carter would not rule out the possibility of making a run for the Governor’s Office or another elected office in the future.

Cox Media Group