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Sonny Perdue
Governor
Sonny Perdue was sworn in as Georgia’s 81st governor on January 13, 2003. Perdue has proudly served his local community, middle Georgia, the State and the nation in a variety of roles. He has been a businessman, community leader, state senator, majority leader and president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, and an officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Perdue has dedicated his administration to attracting new businesses and jobs to Georgia, improving the quality of programs that touch the lives of children and fighting for a comprehensive ethics reform package. He maintains a platform of restoring public trust in state government and empowering all Georgians by eliminating undue interference by government.
Perdue was born on December 20, 1946, in Perry, Georgia, to a lifelong farmer and a classroom teacher. He earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1971 from the University of Georgia. Prior to being admitted to veterinary school, he played football at UGA as a walk-on. While still in school, he volunteered to serve his country in the United States Air Force.
Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1974 with the rank of captain and a brief tenure as a practicing veterinarian in Raleigh, North Carolina, Perdue returned to his native Georgia and became a successful small business owner. He started two businesses from the ground up, concentrating in agribusiness and transportation. Today, those businesses have grown to include several locations across the Southeast.
Perdue was already a dedicated leader in his church and his community when he decided to enter public service. After serving on the Houston County Planning and Zoning Board during the 1980s, he ran for the Georgia State Senate. He won, and spent the next 11 years representing the people of Houston, Bibb, Bleckley and Pulaski Counties in the General Assembly.
After only four years in the Senate, Perdue was selected by his peers to the office of majority leader. Then in 1997, Democratic and Republican senators elected him president pro tempore, another testament to his expertise as one of Georgia's most effective consensus builders.
As a state senator, Perdue was often praised for tackling issues when no one else had the courage to do so, and for his ability to grasp the nuances of complex problems. He was recognized as a leading authority on numerous issues including agriculture, transportation, education, emerging technologies and economic development.
Perdue is married to the former Mary Ruff of Atlanta. They have four children and four grandchildren.