Carter wins state Senate race

State election results show Atlanta attorney Jason Carter will follow in his grandfather President Jimmy Carter’s political footsteps.

Carter captured 5,559 votes -- or 65.6 percent -- in the race for Senate District 42 in DeKalb County on Tuesday.

Fellow Democrat Tom Stubbs, also an attorney, was in second with 22.9 percent of the vote, or 1,948 votes.

Libertarian and small-business owner David Montane was in third with 7.5 percent, and independent Steve Patrick, who works for a real estate firm, brought in only 3.9 percent of the vote.

Only about 8,400 voters -- about 10 percent of DeKalb’s 82,637 active voters -- cast ballots Tuesday, county elections director Maxine Daniels said. The county has another 16,000 voters that are inactive.

District 42 includes Decatur and parts of Atlanta.

Carter will serve the remainder of former Sen. David Adelman’s term, which expires at the end of the year. Although the General Assembly is no longer in session, state law requires the seat be filled, elections officials said.

“My family opened the doors, but ultimately I think people decided on me for my merit and not my family,” Carter said after his victory Tuesday night. “But, of course, my family helped. It’s part of me.”

Even though he won’t head to the General Assembly this term, Carter said he is convinced he can do some good.

“There’s a lot that can be done behind the scenes if I’m a state senator, especially with setting policy infrastructure, building relationships and getting ready to hit the ground running in the Senate,” Carter told the AJC.

Carter and Stubbs have both qualified to run again in the July 20 primary for the fall election.

The seat has been vacant since March when Adelman, who served in the General Assembly for eight years, was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Singapore.

“It’s a special election, so we expect it to be slow,” said Alphonza Broadnax, poll manager at Renfroe Middle School in Decatur.

Trish and Tim Bricker were two of about 200 voters that cast ballots at Renfroe. They brought their daughters, ages 5 and 9, with them to teach them about the importance of democracy even in such a small race, the mother said.

“I’m excited the Carters are coming back in the system,” Trish Bricker said. “It’s a family tradition for us to vote so we can show the kids what it’s all about.”

Carter was also what got Druid Hills High School teacher Melissa King Rogers to the polls.

Several days before officially announcing his campaign, Carter spoke to the students at Druid Hills High.