ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - On December 20, 1946, two-term Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue was born.

Perdue spent eight years in the governor’s mansion from 2003 to 2011, but his political career began way before that.

Perdue started as a planning and zoning board member in Houston County in the 1980s. From there, he worked up to eventually serve in the state Senate, and then launched his campaign for governor in 2001.

As governor, Perdue is known for resolving the state flag controversy, managing the impact of the national economic recession in Georgia and reforming Georgia’s education system.

After leaving the governor’s office in 2011, Perdue became the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2017 and the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.

Happy birthday to Sonny Perdue!

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