Sonny Perdue confirmed as agriculture secretary

Sonny Perdue.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia, was confirmed as agriculture secretary Monday by the Senate on a vote of 87-11.

Purdue's father was a farmer, and he has owned several agricultural businesses. He is not affiliated with Perdue Farms or the Perdue food company. Perdue, 70, will oversee 100,000 employees and such programs as food safety, agricultural subsidies, and rural development projects.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.