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Carl Edward Sanders (born May 15, 1925) is an American politician who served as the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1963 to 1967.
Sanders was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship. He left to fight in World War II, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1943. After the war, he returned to complete his bachelor's and law degrees.
In 1954, Sanders won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. He won a seat in the state Senate in 1956. He served two years as president pro tempore of the Senate.
Sanders defeated former governor Marvin Griffin in the 1962 primary. Sanders was the first Governor from an urban area since the 1920s and he was the first modern Governor elected by the popular vote, following the end of the County Unit System.
As Governor, Sanders worked to improve education and the environment. Sanders also led the transition away from segregation, cooperating with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson on complying with civil rights laws.
Under the term limit law then in effect, Sanders was ineligible to run for re-election. He left office at the peak of his popularity, and turned down several jobs from President Johnson. He returned to run for Governor in 1970 but he lost to Jimmy Carter in the primary. After that loss he left electoral politics to concentrate on the practice of law: as of 2004 he is a senior partner at the law firm of Troutman Sanders.
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