New Georgia Encyclopedia: Sonny Perdue (b. 1946)

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Sonny Perdue (b. 1946)

Sonny Perdue is the governor of Georgia and the first Republican elected to the office since 1868, when Rufus Bullock was elected during the Reconstruction era. Perdue was inaugurated on January 13, 2003.

Born on December 20, 1946, in Perry, George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III is the son of Ervin, a farmer, and Ophie, a teacher.

Sonny Perdue

He graduated from Warner Robins High School and the University of Georgia, earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1971. He played football with the University of Georgia Bulldogs as a walk-on. From 1971 to 1974 he served in the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of captain. After his honorable discharge from the air force, and a brief tenure practicing veterinary medicine in Raleigh, North Carolina, Perdue returned to Houston County in middle Georgia and became a successful small-business owner, concentrating his holdings in agribusiness and transportation.

His first elected office was serving as a member of the Houston County Planning and Zoning Board during the 1980s. In 1990 he ran as a Democrat for the state senate, where he served for eleven years, including a tenure as majority leader (1995-96) and as president pro tempore (1997-98). He chaired the Senate Higher Education Committee from 1993 to 1994. In 1998 Perdue changed his affiliation to the Republican Party.

Perdue is married to Mary Ruff, of Atlanta. They have four children and three grandchildren, and they have also served as foster parents for children awaiting adoption.

[NGE policy is not to cover current administrations or tenures of political leaders. A fuller article on Perdue's governorship will appear after he leaves office.]

John C. Inscoe, University of Georgia

Published 2/6/2004

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