Sonny Purdue To Be Tapped For Agriculture Secretary

Sonny Purdue, who was elected Georgia governor in 2002 after promising a referendum to reinstate the Confederate battle cross as the state flag, and who once held a public prayer vigil for rain, will be nominated as Secretary of Agriculture today. Via Politico:

The decision, which is expected to be announced on Thursday, ends weeks of speculation that Trump was looking to name a woman or Hispanic to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture and answers the pleas of the more than 70 members of Trump’s agriculture advisory council who were hoping to have one of their own put in charge of the lower-profile but far-reaching agency with a $150 billion budget.

“They want someone who will go in there and kick some ass,” said Gary Baise, a Washington, D.C., attorney who helped put together the advisory committee. “And Sonny is that guy.” In making the announcement, the president-elect’s transition team plans to stress Perdue’s focus on rural communities and family farms, describing it as a “key part of the Trump movement,” a source says.

Perdue, who would be the first southerner to lead USDA in more than two decades, told POLITICO in an interview before his selection that the next Agriculture secretary would be tasked with ensuring that USDA branches across the nation are friendly environments for all farmers and ranchers. He said he’d also aim to make the department work better with other agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.