Local attorney and Georgia State Senator Joseph Carter announced Friday that he intends to run for the position of Superior Court Judge for the Tifton Judicial Circuit. Chief Superior Court Judge Gary McCorvey announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election to the post.

“It (the judgeship) marries two things that are dear to me — public service and the law,” Carter said Friday.

Carter had qualified to run for re-election as senator of Georgia’s District 13 and was unopposed when qualifying ended. He said that his name will be removed from the ballot and an additional qualifying period will be opened for those interested in running for that post. He will continue to serve as senator through the end of his term, which is Dec. 30.

Carter said he has been interested in serving as judge of superior court for some time, but didn’t have any idea McCorvey would vacate the position.

“The decision wasn’t tough,” Carter said. “I consulted with a number of attorneys who have thoughts and aspirations of running for judge and after discussing it with my family, it wasn’t tough at all.”

Carter has served as senator since 2004. During his term, he has been appointed to several key committees and was selected as Gov. Sonny Perdue’s Administration Floor Leader. He serves as vice chairman of the Education and Youth Committee and Government Oversight Committee; Secretary of the Economic Development Committee; Ex-officio members of the Health and Human Services Committee; and is a member of the Judiciary and Public Safety and Homeland Security committees; is chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on local assistance grants; a member of Perdue’s Energy Policy Council, the Legislative Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee, the Georgia Commission on Child Support and the Lottery Oversight Committee. In 2006, he was named one of the most influential South Georgians by South Georgia Business Magazine.

Carter received a B.B.A. from Valdosta State University in 1986 and his J.D. from Walter F. George School of Law from Mercer University in 1989. Carter has practiced private law in Tift County for 19 years. He has served as a little league coach; is a Leadership Tifton graduate; a PTO president; member of the Tifton-Tift County Arts Council; as a board member for the Tifton-Tift County Public Library; as a member of the YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters; and as president of the Tifton Bar Association. Carter also served as a member of the Tift County Board of Education from 2001-2004.

Carter is married to Rebecca Cobb Carter and they have two sons, Candler and Isaac. Rebecca Cobb Carter is a public school teacher and the couple are members of First United Methodist Church in Tifton.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.