Jimmy Carter, the longest-living former US president at 99, “can’t wait” to cast his vote for Kamala Harris for president and “wishes he could be” at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), according to his grandson Jason Carter.
Carter, 99, who has lived longer after leaving the White House than any former president in US history, was a Democrat who served from January 1977 to January 1981. Carter is set to turn 100 on October 1, just over a month before Harris faces Donald Trump in the presidential election. The US polls are set for November 5.
The DNC kicked off on August 19, with Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, along with Joe Biden — who exited the presidential race on July 21 and endorsed Harris — in attendance. Many Democratic leaders, including former President Barack Obama, also attended.
Jimmy Carter also wished he could be there but couldn’t due to being in hospice care for a year and a half.
In his place, his grandson Jason Carter attended the event.
JIMMY CARTER’S STRONG SUPPORT FOR KAMALA HARRIS
Jason conveyed his grandfather’s strong support for Kamala Harris, 59, who is running against the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“She [Kamala Harris] knows what is right, and she fights for it. She understands that leadership is about service, not about selfishness. That you can show strength and demonstrate decency. And that you can get a whole lot more done with a smile than with a scowl,” Jason said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Jason Carter, the grandson of the longest-living president, also provided an update on his grandfather’s health, revealing that Jimmy Carter is no longer awake every day.
“For my grandfather, it was never about fame, recognition, accolades, or awards. His legacy is measured by the lives he has touched and the good he has done,” Jason said.
Jimmy Carter, who has been in hospice care for a year and a half, has faced declining health, especially since the passing of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, the first lady, in November 2023 at the age of 96.
The couple had been married for 77 years.
Jason Carter mentioned the deep impact of Rosalynn’s death on his grandfather.
“After 77 years of marriage… I just think none of us really understand what it’s like for him right now,” he said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Despite his frailty, Carter remains committed to casting his vote.
Jason shared that his grandfather told his son Chip, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris”.
In his earlier years, even into his early 90s, Carter was active, building homes and teaching Sunday school at his Baptist church as recently as 2020. Now, he resides in hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, a place he and his wife built together in 1961.