by Joe Nevills

Hamilton Jordan, former White House chief of staff for President Jimmy Carter and an early supporter of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, died Tuesday at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, after a 22-year battle with cancer.

Jordan, 63, was a key strategist for former President Carter during the 1976 election, and again in 1980 when Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan. He later worked for Ross Perot during his bid for the White House in 1992.

Following his political career, Jordan was recruited by the National Thoroughbred Association to serve as a consultant. The owner-based organization paved the way for the NTRA.

Jordan viewed individual racetracks trying to market themselves as a problem and urged the racing industry to market the sport as a whole.

Joe Nevills is a Thoroughbred Times editorial intern