section_path: Post-presidency (1981–2024)/Presidential politics
section_name: Presidential politics
paragraph_text: Presidential politics
  
  Carter was considered a potential candidate in the 1984 presidential election. In May 1982, Carter ruled out another run, and instead endorsed Mondale for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Mondale secured the nomination in the Democratic primaries, Carter critiqued the Reagan campaign, spoke at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and advised Mondale about his campaign. After the election, in which Reagan defeated Mondale, Carter said the loss was predictable because Mondale's platform included raising taxes.
  
  In March 1987, Carter ruled himself out as a candidate in the 1988 presidential election. Ahead of the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Carter predicted that the convention would see party unity after tensions arose between presumptive nominee Michael Dukakis and runner-up Jesse Jackson. Carter delivered an address at the convention.
  
  Carter spoke of the need for the 1992 Democratic National Convention to address certain issues not focused on in the past, and campaigned for Clinton after he became the Democratic nominee, publicly stating his expectation to be consulted during Clinton's presidency.
  
  Carter endorsed Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, days before the 2000 presidential election, and in subsequent years voiced his opinion that Gore won the election, despite Republican nominee George W. Bush having been certified the victor following the Supreme Court's ruling in Bush v. Gore.
  
  In the 2004 presidential election, Carter endorsed the Democratic nominee John Kerry and spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He also voiced concern about another voting mishap in Florida.
  
  During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, it was speculated that Carter would endorse Barack Obama over his main primary rival Hillary Clinton, as Carter and other members of the Carter family had spoken favorably of Obama. Although he did not endorse Obama during the primaries, he said in late May 2008 that Clinton should end her bid and concede to Obama after the final primaries on June 3. On June 3, Carter endorsed Obama, and said he would vote for Obama as a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention (as a former president, Carter was entitled to hold one of 20 superdelegate slots reserved for "distinguished party leaders"). Before this, he had remained publicly neutral. During the general election campaign, Carter criticized John McCain, the Republican nominee. Once Obama became the presumptive nominee, he advised Obama not to select Clinton as his running mate.
  
  Ahead of the primaries of the 2012 presidential election, Carter expressed his preference for Mitt Romney to win the Republican nomination, though he clarified that he preferred Romney because he believed him to be the prospective Republican nominee who would most assure Obama's reelection. Carter recorded an address that was shown at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
  
  In the 2016 presidential election, Carter was critical of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shortly after Trump entered the primary, predicting that he would lose. As the primary continued, Carter said he preferred Trump to his main rival, Ted Cruz, though he rebuked the Trump campaign during the primary and in his address to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In August 2016, Carter endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. He again expressed his support of Clinton in his speech to the Democratic convention, which he delivered by video. In 2019, Carter said that Trump would not have been elected without Russia's interference in the 2016 election. When questioned, he agreed that Trump is an "illegitimate president". In a 2017 discussion with Senator Bernie Sanders, Carter said he voted for Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
  
  Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter delivered a recorded audio message endorsing Joe Biden for the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention. On January 6, 2021, after the U.S. Capitol attack, Carter released a statement that he and his wife were "troubled" by the events, that what had occurred was "a national tragedy and is not who we are as a nation", and that "having observed elections in troubled democracies worldwide, I know that we the people can unite to walk back from this precipice to peacefully uphold the laws of our nation". Carter recorded an audio message for Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021, as the Carters could not attend the ceremony in person.
  
  In November 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overruled a three-judge panel of the court and scheduled a rehearing of the case against the Trump administration –proposed land swap in Alaska to allow a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. In an unusual action, Carter had filed an opinion in support of a lawsuit by environmental groups, saying the swap violated the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act passed near the end of his presidency. Carter said the act "may be the most significant domestic achievement of my political life".
  
  In August 2024, Carter's son Chip said his father wanted to live to 100 to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. He did so on October 16.
  
  Carter was considered a potential candidate in the 1984 presidential election. In May 1982, Carter ruled out another run, and instead endorsed Mondale for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Mondale secured the nomination in the Democratic primaries, Carter critiqued the Reagan campaign, spoke at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and advised Mondale about his campaign. After the election, in which Reagan defeated Mondale, Carter said the loss was predictable because Mondale's platform included raising taxes.
  
  In March 1987, Carter ruled himself out as a candidate in the 1988 presidential election. Ahead of the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Carter predicted that the convention would see party unity after tensions arose between presumptive nominee Michael Dukakis and runner-up Jesse Jackson. Carter delivered an address at the convention.
  
  Carter spoke of the need for the 1992 Democratic National Convention to address certain issues not focused on in the past, and campaigned for Clinton after he became the Democratic nominee, publicly stating his expectation to be consulted during Clinton's presidency.
  
  Carter endorsed Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, days before the 2000 presidential election, and in subsequent years voiced his opinion that Gore won the election, despite Republican nominee George W. Bush having been certified the victor following the Supreme Court's ruling in Bush v. Gore.
  
  In the 2004 presidential election, Carter endorsed the Democratic nominee John Kerry and spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He also voiced concern about another voting mishap in Florida.
  
  During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, it was speculated that Carter would endorse Barack Obama over his main primary rival Hillary Clinton, as Carter and other members of the Carter family had spoken favorably of Obama. Although he did not endorse Obama during the primaries, he said in late May 2008 that Clinton should end her bid and concede to Obama after the final primaries on June 3. On June 3, Carter endorsed Obama, and said he would vote for Obama as a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention (as a former president, Carter was entitled to hold one of 20 superdelegate slots reserved for "distinguished party leaders"). Before this, he had remained publicly neutral. During the general election campaign, Carter criticized John McCain, the Republican nominee. Once Obama became the presumptive nominee, he advised Obama not to select Clinton as his running mate.
  
  Ahead of the primaries of the 2012 presidential election, Carter expressed his preference for Mitt Romney to win the Republican nomination, though he clarified that he preferred Romney because he believed him to be the prospective Republican nominee who would most assure Obama's reelection. Carter recorded an address that was shown at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
  
  In the 2016 presidential election, Carter was critical of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shortly after Trump entered the primary, predicting that he would lose. As the primary continued, Carter said he preferred Trump to his main rival, Ted Cruz, though he rebuked the Trump campaign during the primary and in his address to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In August 2016, Carter endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. He again expressed his support of Clinton in his speech to the Democratic convention, which he delivered by video. In 2019, Carter said that Trump would not have been elected without Russia's interference in the 2016 election. When questioned, he agreed that Trump is an "illegitimate president". In a 2017 discussion with Senator Bernie Sanders, Carter said he voted for Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
  
  Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter delivered a recorded audio message endorsing Joe Biden for the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention. On January 6, 2021, after the U.S. Capitol attack, Carter released a statement that he and his wife were "troubled" by the events, that what had occurred was "a national tragedy and is not who we are as a nation", and that "having observed elections in troubled democracies worldwide, I know that we the people can unite to walk back from this precipice to peacefully uphold the laws of our nation". Carter recorded an audio message for Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021, as the Carters could not attend the ceremony in person.
  
  In November 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overruled a three-judge panel of the court and scheduled a rehearing of the case against the Trump administration –proposed land swap in Alaska to allow a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. In an unusual action, Carter had filed an opinion in support of a lawsuit by environmental groups, saying the swap violated the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act passed near the end of his presidency. Carter said the act "may be the most significant domestic achievement of my political life".
  
  In August 2024, Carter's son Chip said his father wanted to live to 100 to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. He did so on October 16.