Steve Fennessy: So I'm guessing that maybe he wants to stay out of this altogether, or do we know if he is going to make any kind of public statement endorsing one way or the other? I give him my full and total endorsement.". Secretary Perdue was just chastised for his abuse of tax dollars for political purposes by ethics authorities, so we cannot take these claims at face value, he said. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Georgia Today: How Sonny Perdue's ascent to chancellor went from [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Mr. Kemp had received Mr. Trumps endorsement in 2018, but their relationship deteriorated following the Kemp administrations refusal to undermine Georgias presidential election results in 2020. He served two terms,. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. Eric Stirgus: And then there's been issues that a lot of Republican lawmakers have been bringing up to in the Georgia Legislature in recent years about campus speech issues that they feel that, you know, students and groups cannot speak freely on college campuses, particularly conservatives. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. The . Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. At least he is out of the gate. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. Who hires the chancellor? All Rights Reserved. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.".