ATLANTA (AP) — Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter and a state lawmaker from Atlanta, said Thursday that he plans to run for governor of Georgia next year, energizing Democrats coming off a 2010 election in which the GOP claimed every statewide office. Deal already faces two primary opponents and will now have to deal with a Carter campaign that is likely to grab national attention, be well-financed and criticize the governor's ethics and leadership. There's been much internal optimism about the 2016 presidential race and the 2018 governor's race as being opportunities for Democrats, but Carter is clearly betting changing demographics in the state could be enough to carry him to the governor's mansion next year. "Georgia faces serious challenges ahead and would greatly benefit from a smart and fresh leader focused on improving our schools, creating opportunities for a more prosperous middle class and restoring a sense of trust and transparency back to state government," the elder Carter said. While Democrats once dominated state politics, the Republicans have been the party in power since 2002 when Sonny Perdue became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. The state has voted for every Republican presidential nominee since 2000, although President Barack Obama garnered 47 percent of voters in 2008.