Former President Jimmy Carter hugs his grandson, Jason, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Georgia governor.ATLANTA - Jason Carter took an optimistic view of his 8-point loss to incumbent Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal during an interview last week in Atlanta, two weeks after the Nov. 4 election that delivered a blow to Georgia Democrats' hopes of getting power back in a state they once dominated.
A few things to know from Carter's post-election interview:
'A LOT MORE WORK'
Carter said his campaign was the victim of a national Republican wave and Georgia Democrats can't resort to fighting among themselves about strategy. The campaign's data showed the race was incredibly close until the final week, he said, and undecided voters "broke the other way."
Neither Carter nor U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn got more than the 45 percent President Barack Obama won here in 2012.
But Carter rejected the term "autopsy" that others have used to describe examining this cycle's Democratic campaigns, and said the party has made "real and durable" progress during the last two years. Both his and Nunn's campaigns collected thousands of donor and volunteer names, and the party has to keep those people engaged and energized, he said.
"What we have now is a great start," Carter said. "We've moved the ball a long way and what we have left is a lot more work in order to get the state in a place where it's really got a political balance."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The day after he was re-elected, Deal suggested that Carter tried for a statewide seat too early but had a bright political future. Carter's legislative experience - he served four years as a state senator in the minority party - often was an issue during the campaign. On Tuesday, Carter said he may appear on a ballot again and doesn't have any regrets about running in 2014.
"I know this was the right time for me," he said. "I think it was the right time for our state, and I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish."
Carter, who is an attorney, hasn't decided what he'll do next professionally. He's considering several opportunities and wants to stay involved in the discussion of Georgia issues.
"You can't travel this state and look at so many people in the eye and talk about the issues that are affecting them and not believe that it can and should be better and give up on it," he said.
GRANDFATHER'S ADVICE
Carter's loss keeps him in the political footsteps of his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter, who lost a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1966 before winning the office four years later. The former president was an adviser to his grandson's campaign early on and later appeared at get-out-the-vote events.
Jason Carter said his grandfather stuck to personal advice after the loss, recommending time to reconnect with family after a grueling campaign schedule.
The first step: adopting a rescue dog (a shepherd mix named Johnny) to fulfill a campaign promise to his two sons. The family also is headed to Harry Potter World in Orlando for a vacation.
"It's so nice to get to be a dad again. It's so nice to get to be a husband again," Carter said.