TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In November 1980, President Jimmy Carter lost his chance for a second term to Republican Ronald Reagan.
Over the years, President Carter’s tenure was largely reduced to economic struggles and the Iran hostage crisis.
But the period leading up to his death provided a deeper dive into his presidency, showing a leader who, in many ways, was ahead of his time.
In fact, President Carter appointed more women, African Americans, and Hispanics to judicial and executive positions than his 38 predecessors.
His belief in diversifying government began in local and state politics. It helped open up new opportunities for people like two Tallahassee women, who credit their time with Mr. Carter for inspiring them to enter public service.
“It’s page three and when you get to 6:50 it says ‘the president had dinner with,’ and it lists all the people that were there and at the bottom it has my name,” Teri Cariota said.
One of Teri Cariota’s favorite items is her signed copy of President Carter’s daily journal.
Now a legislative aide in the Florida Senate, on November 11, 1977, she was a 22-year-old Carter campaign volunteer and a friend of his children.
Cariota said her kids invited her to crash at the White House to help break up a road trip from Philadelphia to Florida.
“It was so surreal because I was looking out the window of the Washington Monument and I went to bed, and I woke up in the morning really thinking it was all a dream,” Cariota said.
It was a dream, Cariota said, starting in Gainesville in 1975. Cariota was helping organize the Florida Young Democrats convention and their speaker at the luncheon was Jimmy Carter, then governor of Georgia.
“My first thoughts were: ‘Nice guy.’ He doesn’t have a chance in the world,’ but I think he’s great. His family is great. I’m going to volunteer, but I don’t have a chance in the world,” Cariota said.
As a member of the Peanut Brigade, Terri traveled the United States in search of Carter.
At the same time, University of Georgia student Beth Labasky was campaigning with Carter’s wife, Rosalyn.
“She is a strong, wonderful, caring and kind woman. And I was with him hand in hand through just about everything,” Labasky said.
And that included serving as governor of Georgia. That’s where the current political consultant met the Carters, as an intern in the governor’s office.
“We were captivated by the enthusiasm of a new governor in whom we believed so much. Who had so many qualities of quality, justice, faith, commitment and compassion. And everything we saw him do was done using all of these precious gifts that he had,” Labasky said.
These gifts, according to Labasky and Cariota, kept people from saying “Jimmy who?” » to New York where, in 1976, he accepted the Democratic Party nomination for president.
Cariota’s friendship with the Carters gave him the opportunity to witness history that night at Madison Square Garden.
“I don’t think I would be working where I work today without it.” The things I learned and my love, I don’t want to talk about politics, because I don’t like politics, I like public service,” Cariota said.
Labasky agrees. She said that thanks to President Carter, people of different genders, races and ethnicities have had the opportunity to lead.
“The administration really listened to us and got our input on the issues,” Labasky said.
Over the years. both women remained in contact with the Carter family and became emotional after learning that the president had entered hospice in February 2023.
Both women said he would always be their favorite president. Not only for the doors he opened for them, but also for the example of faith, goodness and conviction he showed to the world.
“It’s been an incredible journey. I am so lucky in many ways to have gotten to know him and learn from him. And I’m so grateful to have been my governor, my president and my friend,” Labasky said.
When it comes to the diversity President Carter brought to the executive office and federal judiciary, the numbers are quite staggering.
In fact, by the time he left office, he had appointed 41 of 46 female federal judges.
One of them was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During an interview, Ginsburg said she didn’t even know it was possible for a woman to become a Supreme Court justice until President Carter decided to make the justice system look like more to that of America.
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