Illinois politicians reflect on President Jimmy Carter's legacy

In the hours after former President Jimmy Carter’s death Sunday, Illinois elected officials shared their condolences and reflections on the legacy of the 100-year-old Nobel Peace Prize-recipient's life.

The longest-lived American president died in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, the Carter Center said. Carter entered hospice care in February 2023.

President Joe Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington.

Former President Barack Obama reflected not only on Carter's legacy as president but on his decency as a person, which Obama said was evident whenever the two spent time together.

"He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion," Obama said in a statement. "Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image. Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service."

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Carter was a personal inspiration of his as a "man of deep faith in the political arena" whose values continue to show the way forward.

"President Jimmy Carter lived the American dream in every way," Johnson said in a statement. "His legacy of love and his service to God and country are admirable beyond measure. President Carter valiantly fought for human rights and peace across the world during his presidency and beyond."

Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth both stated admiration for his time as a public servant, and Durbin called Carter an "inspiration to those of us who aspire to lead a life of service."

“Jimmy Carter proved that excellence in public service can extend beyond the White House," Durbin said in a statement Sunday. “I offer my condolences to the entire Carter family, to his friends and former staff members, and to the untold millions of people throughout the world whose lives are better because Jimmy Carter lived.”

Rep. Mike Quigley lauded Carter's time in office, but he said Carter's most important accomplishments came after his presidency, calling him "the greatest former president our nation has ever known."

"His work, alongside former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, at the Carter Center, with Habitat for Humanity, and his successful two-decade-long effort to eradicate the Guinea worm made him the epitome of a public servant," Quigley said. "Those of us in elected office should look to President Carter’s example as a model for what we aspire to after leaving office."

Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia remembered Carter as a "giant" of progressive politics who was able to pursue an agenda focused on social and human services for working families through his administration.

“His post-presidency, however, was perhaps the most productive era of President Carter’s life," Garcia said in a statement. "His efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to unwaveringly advance human rights and alleviate human suffering, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize decades after leaving the White House. His steadfast pursuit of truth and peace leaves a powerful legacy to uphold."

They were joined by a chorus of others honoring his legacy, including Gov. JB Pritzker, who said Carter exemplified what it means to live a life full of service.

"His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered," Pritzker said in a statement.

"Illinois Democrats mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a leader who embodied humility and service," the Democratic Party of Illinois wrote on social media. "His unwavering dedication to peace and justice will inspire generations. We extend our condolences to the Carter family and honor his extraordinary life."

Rick Jasculca, a Chicago media professional who started working with Carter on the campaign trail and continued to throughout the rest of his life, remembered Carter as a spry man 23 years his senior, who during his White House years was up at 5 a.m. every morning with a single piece of toast before tackling whatever was ahead that day. Jasculca said he hopes Carter's record, including creating the Departments of Education and Energy, don't overshadow the man he was.

“I hope in his passing, people will reflect on him not only as president and former president, but also focus on who he and Rosalynn were as people," Jasculca told the Sun-Times on Sunday night. “He still carried his own suitcase, he didn’t want to be catered to. ... He was just a real person. Yes he was a president of the United States, but he was just a down-to-earth real person."

After Jasculca's father died he said Carter served as a "North Star" and surrogate father to him, and that he considered both men among the hardest working people he had ever known.

Jasculca said he hopes that Carter's tenacity, along with a range of global accomplishments, are what endure after him, and he encouraged young people to take up public service.

“If you want to honor his legacy, take his work and advance it," Jasculca said. "There’s still so much to do in the realm of global health or democracy, there’s a lot we can do if we roll up our sleeves.”