Jimmy Carter, the nation’s 39th president who died Sunday at age 100 at his home in Georgia, is being remembered by Massachusetts political leaders as a visionary leader and humanitarian.
Governor Maura Healey has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings until Jan. 28, in honor of the life and legacy of the 39th president.
“President Carter lived a life dedicated to peace, human rights, democracy and moral clarity. He set an enduring example of what it means to serve others, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” Healey said in a statement. “I’m sending love and strength to the Carter family as they, and our nation, process this profound loss. May we all honor his memory by building a more just, peaceful and caring world.”
Former Governor Michael Dukakis called Carter “one of the finest people” that he ever worked with and said he was “a remarkable guy“ in many ways.
“Just a wonderful public servant,” Dukakis said by telephone Sunday night. “AndKerry I thought the world of him.”
Dukakis said he was very “very upset” when Carter lost reelection to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
He enjoyed his friendship with the progressive southerner from Georgia.
“He was as genuine as anybody I’ve worked with in politics,” said Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee.
Former Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Carter was a man of “resilient faith and resolute principle.”
“He had a bold vision about global challenges and this person who burst onto the scene promising to restore honesty to the dialogue was unflinchingly candid for decades in sharing his view of those challenges,” Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator. “He was ahead of his time in many ways – the president who put solar panels atop the White House, only to have them removed by his successor, recognized the urgency of the energy transition and later the reality of climate change well before that term was commonly used.”
Kerry also noted that Carter’s Alaska Land Act tripled the size of Alaska’s protected wildlife. and that his post-presidential life remarkably lasted over four decades where he promoted democracy through The Carter Center in Georgia and help those less fortunate through Habitat for Humanity
“President Carter has set an impossible bar for what a post-presidential life can be,” said Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. “Teresa and I join with all in honoring his remarkable contributions and we are sending our love to the entire Carter family.”
Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said Carter was a “statesman and humanitarian,” in a statement following his passing. Clark, a Democrat from Revere who represents the state’s fifth congressional district, said Carter fought for dignity of working families, the health of the planet, and for standing up for environmental justice and the universal right to clean air and water.
“Always a peacemaker, he was a force for democracy in all corners of the world,” Clark said. “In the decades after he left office, he and First Lady Rosalynn Carter continued to serve the most vulnerable among us. Their work at the Carter Center, Habitat for Humanity, and many other organizations saved lives, advanced human rights, and promoted opportunity and stability for those in need.”
Clark said that Carter’s service of compassion and humility leaves a legacy that will be admired for generations to come.
“As we come together as a grateful nation to mourn and honor President Carter, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Carter family,” Clark said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Carter “was a true public servant and peacemaker.
“Our country is a better place because of him. My thoughts are with his family,” Warren said.
Senator Ed Markey said on X that Carter led with compassion, integrity, and a heroic determination to lift humanity’s spirit.
“We will forever be indebted to him for building a more peaceful world. Thank you, Mr. President, for being conscience, caretaker, and commander for the U.S. and our world,” Markey said.
Congressman Jim McGovern of Worcester called Carter “a true humanitarian champion.”
“Even after leaving the White House, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work: building houses with his own two hands through Habitat for Humanity, working tirelessly to promote peace and eradicate disease though the Carter Center, and always believing in the power of hope and dignity to uplift humanity and bring about a better world,” McGovern wrote. “He did these things not because he had to, but because he believed they were the right things to do.”
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley said in a statement that Carter worked to build a more just, equitable, and peaceful world.
“President Carter embodied compassion and an unwavering commitment to humanity and public service,” the Boston Democrat said. “His faith in God and practicing that faith informed his life’s work of building a more just, equitable, and peaceful world. I’m thinking of his family and everyone who loved him.”
Congressman Richard E. Neal, a Democrat of Springfield, said Carter led a long and distinguished life committed to service and will be remembered for his humble, yet iron-will to do good unto others.
“Prior to running for elected office, I recall him working with the Habitat for Humanity in the early 1970s, rehabilitating homes throughout the City of Springfield,” Neal said in a statement. “I had the privilege of meeting President Carter in 1976 at the Springfield Civic Center shortly after accepting the Democratic nomination.”
He said that President Carter led the country during a time of great uncertainty in the aftermath of Watergate and the Vietnam War.
“His remarkable sense of character and selflessness traced back to his humble beginnings in Plains, Georgia, and he upheld the same values in the Oval Office and throughout his life’s work,” Neal said. “Nobody ever disputed Jimmy Carter’s decency.”
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan called Carter a public servant of global renown whose influence can never be fully measured.
“During his long and purpose-driven life, President Carter was guided by his faith, love of country, and sense of responsibility to his community,” Kerrigan said. “From his formative years as a Naval Officer to his humanitarian work later in life, President Carter was always in service of others. In the days to come, many memories will be shared about President Carter, and I hope that we can use them as an opportunity to remind ourselves of the difference one person can make.”
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, dedicated to the life of the late senator who challenged Carter for the 1980 Democratic nomination, praised Carter as a “titan of humanitarianism.”
“The Kennedy Institute extends our deepest condolences to the family of President Jimmy Carter,” the Institute said in a statement on X. “A titan of humanitarianism, a champion of civility, and a force for democratic freedoms, his legacy and dedication to public service will continue to inspire Americans for generations.”
Congresswoman Lori Trahan of Lowell said on X that she was “deeply saddened by the news of President Carter’s passing,” and offered her condolences to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren “who he and Rosalynn adored more than anything in the world.”
“Jimmy Carter left his mark on our nation’s history through his unyielding love and appreciation for the American people, his dedication to public service, and his deep devotion to his faith,” Trahan said. “But more than anything, he’ll be remembered for who he was - a good man who always saw the best in others.”
She said that President Carter’s legacy is one that everyone, regardless of their political persuasion, should work to emulate. “He will be sorely missed,” Trahan said.
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