Sonny Perdue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 14thChancellor of the University System of Georgia | |
| Assumed office April 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Wrigley |
| 31stUnited States Secretary of Agriculture | |
| In office April 25, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Stephen Censky |
| Preceded by | Tom Vilsack |
| Succeeded by | Tom Vilsack |
| 81stGovernor of Georgia | |
| In office January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2011 | |
| Lieutenant | Mark Taylor Casey Cagle |
| Preceded by | Roy Barnes |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Deal |
| Member of theGeorgia Senate from the 18th district | |
| In office January 9, 1991 – January 9, 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Barker |
| Succeeded by | Ross Tolleson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Ervin Perdue III (1946-12-20)December 20, 1946 (age 78) Perry, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1998–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (before 1998) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | David Perdue (cousin) |
| Education | University of Georgia (BS,DVM) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1971–1974 |
| Rank |  Captain |
George Ervin "Sonny"Perdue III[1] (born December 20, 1946) is anAmericanpolitician. He was the 31stUnited States Secretary of Agriculture from April 25, 2017 to January 20, 2021. He was the81stGovernor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011. In January 2003, he became the firstRepublican Governor of Georgia sinceReconstruction. Perdue served on the Governors’ Council of theBipartisan Policy Center inWashington, D.C..
On January 18, 2017, incoming U.S. PresidentDonald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to beUnited States Secretary of Agriculture. His nomination was sent to the Senate on March 9, 2017.[2] He was approved by theUnited States senate with a vote of 87-11 on April 24, 2017. He left office on January 20, 2021 whenJoe Biden became president. In April 2022, he became the 14th Chancellor of theUniversity System of Georgia.[3]
Perdue was born inPerry, Georgia. He is the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer.[4][5] The Perdue family ownedslaves in Georgia during the19th century.[6]
Perdue played quarterback atWarner Robins High School. He studied at theUniversity of Georgia.[7]
In 1971, Perdue earned hisDoctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from theUniversity of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and worked as aveterinarian before becoming a small business owner, eventually starting three businesses.[8]
Perdue served in theU.S. Air Force. He became acaptain before leaving the military.
After working as a member of theHouston County Planning & Zoning Commission in the 1980s, Perdue ran for a seat in theGeorgia General Assembly.[8] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the Senator representing the 18th district.[9]
Perdue was elected in 1991, 1994, and 1996. He was his party's leader in the Senate, from 1994 to 1997 and presidentpro tempore.[10]
Perdue changed party fromDemocrat toRepublican in 1998 and was re-elected to the Senate as a Republican. He also won re-election in 2000.
In December 2001, Perdue resigned as State Senator so he could run for the office of Governor. He won the2002 Georgia gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic incumbentRoy Barnes, 51% to 46%, withLibertarian candidateGarrett Michael Hayes taking 2% of the vote.[11] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in over 130 years sinceBenjamin F. Conley.
As governor, Perdue led reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate.[source?] He helped Georgia moved up from last place in the country inSAT scores. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[12] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year.[13] Perdue also created additional opportunities forcharter schools andprivate schools.[14] In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigration".[15]
In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant GovernorMark Taylor. LibertarianGarrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot.[16]
On November 13, 2007, while Georgia suffered from one of the worst droughts in several decades, Perdue led a group of several hundred people in a prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. Perdue spoke to the crowd, saying "We’ve come together here simply for one reason and one reason only: To very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm" and "God, we need you; we need rain".[17]
On January 2, 2017, it was reported that Perdue had becomePresident-electDonald Trump's leading contender for the nomination to beSecretary of Agriculture in his incoming administration.[18] On January 18, 2017, senior Trump transition officials announced that Perdue would be his nominee Secretary of Agriculture.[19]
The Senate committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry approved his nomination on March 30, with a 19-1 vote. SenatorDavid Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as he is the nominee's first cousin.
Perdue is the second Secretary of Agriculture from theDeep South. The first wasMike Espy of Mississippi, who served under PresidentBill Clinton from January 1993 to December 1994.
On April 24, 2017, Perdue's nomination was confirmed by theUnited States Senate with a 87-11 vote.[20] He was sworn-in bySupreme Court Associate JusticeClarence Thomas the next day.[21]
Perdue was chosenDesignated survivor for the2018 State of the Union Address.[22]
Perdue and his wife, Mary (nee Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years.[23] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[23] fourteen grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children.[24] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia.[25]
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Media related toSonny Perdue at Wikimedia Commons
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