TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In November 1980, President Jimmy Carter lost his chance for a second term to Republican Ronald Reagan.
For many years, President Carter’s time in office was largely consumed by economic struggles and the Iran hostage crisis.
But the time leading up to his death helped dig deeper into his presidency, showing him to be a leader who was in many ways ahead of his time.
In fact, President Carter appointed more women, African Americans, and Hispanics to judgeships and senior positions than all 38 of his predecessors.
His belief in diversifying government began with local and state politics. This has helped create new opportunities for people like these two Tallahassee women. They believe their time with Mr. Carter inspired them to enter public service.
“It’s page three, and if you go to 6:50 p.m., it says, ‘The President had dinner,’ and there’s a list of everyone who was there, and at the bottom it’s my name.” said Teri Cariota.
One of Teri Cariota’s favorite items is her signed copy of President Carter’s daily diary.
Currently a legislative aide in the Florida Senate, she was a 22-year-old Carter campaign volunteer and friend of his children on November 11, 1977.
Cariota said her children invited her to crash into the White House to interrupt a road trip from Philadelphia to Florida.
“It was so surreal because I went to bed looking out the window at the Washington Monument. When I woke up in the morning, it really felt like it was all a dream,” Cariota said.
Cariota said it was a dream that began in Gainesville in 1975. Cariota helped organize the Florida Young Democrats convention, and the luncheon speaker was then-Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘He’s a good guy.’ He said, ‘I don’t have a chance in the world,’ but I think he’s great. His family is wonderful. I’m going to volunteer, but I don’t have a chance in the world.” There is no one,” Cariota said.
As part of the Peanut Brigade, Terry crisscrossed the United States in search of Carter.
Around the same time, Beth Labasky, a student at the University of Georgia, was campaigning with Carter’s wife, Rosalyn.
“She’s a strong, wonderful, caring, kind woman, and she held hands with him in almost everything,” Labasky said.
Among them was the governor of Georgia. Now a political consultant, he met the Carters while interning in the governor’s office.
“We were caught up in the excitement of a new governor in whom we believed so much. He had so much character, full of character and justice, faith and dedication, and compassion. Everything I saw him do was done using all the valuable talents he had,” Labasky said.
Mr. Labasky and Mr. Cariota said that because of these gifts, people no longer have to say, “Jimmy who?” He traveled all the way to New York City and accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976.
Cariota’s friendship with the Carter family gave him the opportunity to witness history that night at Madison Square Garden.
“If it wasn’t for that, I don’t think I would be working where I am now. As far as what I learned and what I love, I don’t want to get into politics, but I don’t like politics. I love public service,” Cariota said.
Labasky agrees. She said President Carter gave her the opportunity to mentor people of different genders, races and ethnicities.
“The administration really listened to us and included us on the issues,” Labasky said.
Over the years. The two women continued to communicate with the Carter family, but became emotional when they learned the president had entered hospice care in February 2023.
Both women said he will always be their favorite president. He not only opened the door for them, but also showed the world by example of faith, kindness and conviction.
“It’s been an amazing journey. I’m so blessed in so many ways to know him and learn from him. And to have him as my governor, as my president, as my friend. I’m very grateful,” Labasky said.
When it comes to the diversity that President Carter brought to the executive branch and the federal judiciary, the numbers are pretty staggering.
In fact, by the time he left office, he had appointed 41 of the 46 women to serve as federal judges.
One was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg said in an interview that she didn’t even know women could serve on the Supreme Court until President Carter decided to move the judicial system closer to the United States.
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