FORMER Bermuda resident Jack Carter — a hedge fund operator based on the island for many years and son of former US President Jimmy Carter — was soundly thrashed in the Nevada Senate race by Republican incumbent Senator John Ensign. Sen. Ensign coasted to victory on Tuesday over Democratic challenger Mr. Carter, a long-time St. George’s resident who was routinely depicted as a carpet bagger by the Republicans since he only moved to Nevada from Bermuda in 2002.

Sen. Ensign led with 55 per cent of the vote to Mr. Carter’s 41 per cent.

Mr. Carter campaigned around the state with 21 family members, including his father, trying to make up ground against the better-funded incumbent in the final weeks of the campaign.

An upbeat Mr. Carter addressed disappointed supporters on Tuesday night, declaring that Democrats had set the groundwork to “turn Nevada blue” for the Presidential election in 2008.

He also said he felt Sen. Ensign ran a “pretty clean campaign”.

“Again, thank you so much for believing in my campaign, for believing in us, and for sending the president a message,” Mr. Carter said. “I was really just taken aback by the outpouring I received by everybody in this state.”

Mr. Carter said he hadn’t made up his mind on whether this was his last Nevada bid for higher office.

Jimmy Carter had stopped campaigning for his son in the final days of the race as he went off to build houses in India and then monitor an election in Nicaragua.

When Mr. Carter lived on the island he helped to organise a visit here by the former US President and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, who promoted the Habitat For Humanity programme he has spearheaded in recent years to Bermudians and addressed a special session of the House of Assembly.