George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (20 December 1946-) was the US Secretary of Agriculture from 25 April 2017, succeeding Tom Vilsack. He previously served as Governor of Georgia (R) from 13 January 2003 to 10 January 2011, succeeding Roy Barnes and preceding Nathan Deal.
Biography[]
George Ervin Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia on 20 December 1946, the first cousin of Senator David Perdue. Perdue graduated from the University of Georgia and served in the US Air Force from 1971 to 1974, rising to the rank of Captain. He joined the Houston County Planning & Zoning Commission during the 1980s, and he was a member of the Southern Democrats at first. In 1990, he entered the Georgia State Senate as the representative from the 18th district, and he switched his allegiance to the Republican Party in 1998 due to his conservative views.
In 2002, he won the gubernatorial elections in Georgia, defeating the Democratic Party incumbent Roy Barnes; he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley over 130 years ago. He cut the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate, created opportunities for private schools and charter schools to the chagrin of public education, allowed for people to vote on the changing of the state flag of Georgia from its Confederate flag design (which the people voted down), signed some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigration, and opposed environmental regulations. In 2010, he was ineligible to seek a third term in office as Governor, and Donald Trump picked him to be his new Secretary of Agriculture; he took office on 25 April 2017. He focused on getting new farmers involved in agriculture, announced a mentoring program for new farmers, increased exports, and lowered nutritional regulations on foods and drinks which could be supplied to schools.