Georgia officials from the across the political spectrum celebrated the life and legacy of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain on Saturday, shortly after word spread that the political legend had lost his battle with brain cancer. He was 81.
Gov. Nathan Deal recounted his time serving with McCain on Capitol Hill, citing the Arizona Republican’s “character and enduring patriotism.”
Stacey Abrams, the Democrat vying to replace Deal this fall, honored McCain’s “unflinching integrity,” while GOP rival Brian Kemp mourned the loss of a “war hero, straight talker, and proven public servant.”
Condolences came from D.C. to Atlanta to Plains, where former President Jimmy Carter described the Vietnam War veteran as "a man of honor (and) a true patriot in the best sense of the word."
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., worked closely with McCain in recent years as the head of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. He said the former GOP presidential candidate “has left an example for all of us of what it takes to be an American patriot.”
Read more: In the halls of Congress, McCain cut a unique political path
“His willingness to reach out to all to do what is right inspires us to work to find common ground. His life and work have left their indelible mark on history, and we all owe John a lot,” Isakson said.
Isakson’s GOP colleague David Perdue said this of his colleague on the Armed Services committee:
"His wit, wisdom, and leadership will be missed in the United States Senate – especially on the Armed Services Committee."
The kind words also flowed from across the aisle.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, said McCain was a “warrior for peace.”
Here are some other local tributes to John McCain:
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