Perdue, Sonny (1946-…), served as the United States secretary of agriculture in the Cabinet of President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2021. Perdue, a member of the Republican Party , had earlier served as governor of Georgia, in the Southern United States.
George Ervin Perdue, III, was born in Perry, in Houston County, in central Georgia, on Dec. 20, 1946. His parents called him “Sonny,” and he grew up on his family’s farm. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Georgia , where he also played football. In 1971, he earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the university. Perdue then joined the United States Air Force . In 1974, he left active duty with the rank of captain.
Perdue opened a private veterinary practice in North Carolina. Soon, he moved back to Georgia and built successful grain trading and trucking businesses. During the 1980’s, Perdue gained his first experience in public service while serving on the Houston County Planning and Zoning Committee. In 1990, running as a Democrat , Perdue won election to the Georgia state Senate. He was reelected every two years through 2000. He switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party prior to his 1998 election win. In late 2001, he retired from the state Senate to focus on a campaign for Georgia governor. He won election as governor in 2002, taking office in 2003. He was reelected in 2006 and served until 2011. As governor, Perdue focused on reducing waste in government, increasing educational achievement, and promoting the state’s businesses.
After leaving office as governor, Perdue joined with a cousin, David Perdue , to start Perdue Partners, a global trading and consulting firm. David Perdue was a U.S. senator from 2015 to 2021. In 2017, President Trump nominated Sonny Perdue to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture . The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination in April.
