Earl Carter

Republican

Earl Carter, also known as Buddy Carter, is a Republican member of the U.S. House from Georgia’s 1st Congressional District and is listed by Ballotpedia as a Republican primary candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2026. He is one of the better-known Republicans in the field and is currently serving in Congress, but he is not the incumbent for this Senate seat.

Positions on Key Issues

Issue	Stance	Confidence
Immigration	Supports expanding federal immigration enforcement, including stronger ICE enforcement and border security, and enforcing existing immigration laws while opposing leniency for illegal immigration.	● high
Foreign Policy	Supports a strong, deterrence-based foreign policy with a robust national defense and sanctions to deter adversaries. He has urged aggressive measures against Iran and other threats and backs firm U.S. security commitments, including countering China.	● high
Local Issues	Supports securing federal funding for local Georgia infrastructure projects, including Savannah port facilities and riverfront improvements, to drive local job growth and economic development.	● high

Immigration

● high

Supports expanding federal immigration enforcement, including stronger ICE enforcement and border security, and enforcing existing immigration laws while opposing leniency for illegal immigration.

Sources:

As criticism of ICE mounts, Carter urges expansion to Georgia

Buddy Carter outlines U.S. Senate campaign

Carter, Collins throw elbows in Georgia Senate GOP debate

Foreign Policy

● high

Supports a strong, deterrence-based foreign policy with a robust national defense and sanctions to deter adversaries. He has urged aggressive measures against Iran and other threats and backs firm U.S. security commitments, including countering China.

Sources:

Issues Home : U.S. Representative Buddy Carter

Peace Through Strength - Representative Buddy Carter

Carter statement on vote in support of our troops against war powers ...

Congress.gov - Member Earl L. Carter

Buddy Carter for Senate

Local Issues

● high

Supports securing federal funding for local Georgia infrastructure projects, including Savannah port facilities and riverfront improvements, to drive local job growth and economic development.

Sources:

Carter secures $53 million for Garden City terminal

Rep. Carter Announces $4.2 million in funding for Savannah Riverwalk Renovation and Critically Infrastructure Improvements Project

Background

Career History

Member of Congress 2015 – Present

U.S. House of Representatives

Represents Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.

Top Donors

OpenSecrets reports Earl “Buddy” Carter’s 2025–2026 Senate campaign committee raised $6,704,676 as of March 31, 2026, with $3,730,261 cash on hand and $3,000,000 in campaign debt. FEC data shows $3,106,615.26 in contributions and a $3,000,000 candidate loan, indicating a mix of donor money and self-financing; OpenSecrets’ industry and organization pages are the best source for sector detail.

View full campaign finance data →

Voting Record

Earl “Buddy” Carter is an incumbent U.S. representative, so he has a federal legislative voting record. GovTrack and Vote Smart provide his House voting profile; GovTrack identifies him as a Republican member from Georgia’s 1st District, and Vote Smart contains key votes and ratings. His record is that of a Republican caucus member in the House, with issue-specific votes documented in those profiles.

View full voting record →

Data Analysis Information

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 5/15/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.