Jack Carter

John William "Jack" Carter was born on July 3, 1947, at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Virginia. He is the eldest child of James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, the 39th President of the United States, and Rosalynn Carter. Carter was raised in Plains, Georgia.

His early life included working on his father’s peanut farm warehouse during winters, earning his initial wages at ten cents per hour. Carter faced academic challenges when he first attended college in 1965, studying at Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia Southwestern State University. Following a period of military service, he returned to Georgia Tech and completed a degree in nuclear physics. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Georgia School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor degree in 1975.

Carter enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1968, at his father’s suggestion. During his military service, he served on the salvage ship USS Grapple (ARS-7) during the Vietnam War. He received a general discharge in late 1970 after being among classmates caught smoking marijuana at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

In 1981, Carter relocated to Chicago, where he worked for the Chicago Board of Trade and Citibank. In 1985, he was interviewed by David Wallechinsky for the book "Midterm Report: The Class of '65," which was later published as "Class Reunion '65, Tales of an American Generation." The book featured interviews with twenty-eight high school graduates, examining the impact of the Vietnam War on their lives.

In 2002, Carter moved to Nevada. He participated in the 2006 United States Senate election in Nevada, securing the Democratic nomination on August 15, 2006, after defeating opponent Ruby Jee Tun, a teacher from Carson City. He subsequently lost the election to the incumbent Republican senator, John Ensign. His campaign focused on opposition to the Iraq War and concerns about the healthcare system, particularly its treatment of veterans.

Regarding personal life, Jack Carter married Judy Langford in 1971, the daughter of Georgia state senator James Beverly Langford. The marriage resulted in two children: a son, Jason Carter, and a daughter, Sarah Carter. The couple divorced in 1989. In 1992, Carter married Elizabeth Sawyer Brasfield. He is the stepfather to two children from her previous marriage: John Chuldenko, a filmmaker and director of television ads for Carter's Senate campaign, and Sarah Chuldenko, an illustrator and painter. Elizabeth Brasfield Carter has married Australian artist Stephen Reynolds.

References and external links include an oral history interview with Jack Carter conducted on June 25, 2003, and information on the USS Grapple (ARS-7). Carter maintains a presence on Facebook.