MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of President Jimmy Carter.

“Today, America mourns the loss of President Jimmy Carter — a husband, dad, grandpa, veteran, farmer, and lifelong public servant. 

President Carter earned a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans when he invited Senator Walter Mondale to join his presidential ticket. On the wall in the Carter Museum in Atlanta are Vice President Mondale’s words uttered shortly after their 1980 defeat, summing up their four years in office: “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.” 

Minnesota will always remember the “Grits and Fritz” ticket, but President Carter gave our nation that and more. Even during a period of economic uncertainty, he made key advancements in protecting the environment, expanding access to health care, bolstering Social Security, and strengthening America’s leadership on the world stage. 

In the years following his presidency, President Carter showed the world that public service transcends public office. He founded the Carter Center, which to this day is advancing peace, public health, and human rights across the globe. His devotion to serving others continued until the very end — so many of us were moved by the videos of him building homes alongside fellow Habitat for Humanity volunteers in his final years. 

I was lucky enough to share several wonderful memories with President Carter in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. We prayed together at Maranatha Baptist Church, I watched him teach Sunday school, and we shared pimento cheese sandwiches. Each time, his profound faith was clearly on display. 

As President Carter reunites with his beloved wife Rosalynn, we should recognize his passing for what it is — the culmination of a life well lived. He will be remembered not as a politician, but as an unrelenting force for good.

John’s and my prayers are with Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family at this time.”

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