James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician, philanthropist, and former farmer who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Leroy Johnson, a black state Senator, voiced his support for Carter, saying, 'I understand why he ran that kind of ultra-conservative campaign. ... I don't believe you can win this state without being a racist.'