David Perdue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Perdue
Official portrait, 2016
United States Senator from Georgia
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Saxby Chambliss
Succeeded by	Jon Ossoff
Personal details
Born	David Alfred Perdue Jr. (1949-12-10) December 10, 1949 (age 75) Macon, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Bonnie Dunn ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	3
Relatives	Sonny Perdue (cousin)
Residences	Sea Island, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Georgia Institute of Technology (BS, MS)
Occupation	Politician businessman

David Alfred Perdue Jr. (born December 10, 1949) is an American politician and business leader. He served as a U.S. Senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021. Perdue is a member of the Republican Party.

Before becoming a senator, Perdue had a long career in business. He worked as a management consultant for 12 years. Later, he became a senior vice president and then CEO at Reebok, a well-known sports company. He also led Dollar General, a chain of discount stores.

Perdue first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014. He won against Michelle Nunn, the Democratic candidate. In 2020, he ran for reelection but lost to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a special runoff election. After the 2020 presidential election, Perdue raised concerns about the election process in Georgia. He also supported efforts to challenge the election results. In 2022, Perdue ran for Governor of Georgia but did not win the Republican primary.

Early Life and Education

David Perdue was born in Macon, Georgia. His parents, David Alfred Perdue Sr. and Gervaise Wynn, were both schoolteachers. His father was the superintendent of schools in Houston County, Georgia. He helped integrate the school system, meaning he ended segregation.

Perdue grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia. He graduated from Northside High School in 1968. He was a good student and an athlete. He attended the United States Air Force Academy for one year but decided it wasn't the right path for him.

He then transferred to Georgia Tech. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1972. He also received a master's degree in operations research in 1975. David Perdue is the first cousin of Sonny Perdue, who was a former governor of Georgia and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Business Career Highlights

Perdue started his career in 1972 as a management consultant. He worked for Kurt Salmon Associates for 12 years. Later, he held leadership roles at international clothing companies like Gitano Group Inc. and Sara Lee Corporation. He also worked at Haggar Clothing.

In 1998, Perdue joined Reebok. He eventually became the president and CEO of the Reebok Brand. He is recognized for helping to improve Reebok's sneaker line. He also made a significant deal with the National Football League.

After Reebok, Perdue became CEO of PillowTex, a textile company. He left the company after nine months. Pillowtex later went out of business, leading to many job losses.

Next, Perdue became CEO of Dollar General. He helped improve the company's business and marketing. Under his leadership, Dollar General's stock price doubled. The company also opened many new stores. In 2007, he helped arrange the sale of Dollar General to private investors.

From 2007 to 2009, Perdue worked as a consultant for an Indian company. In 2010, his cousin, then-Governor Sonny Perdue, appointed him to the Georgia Ports Authority board. In 2011, David Perdue started a global trading firm called Perdue Partners with his cousin.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described Perdue's business career as "mixed." However, he was known for helping to improve companies and make them more profitable for investors.

Political Career

Perdue with Neil Gorsuch in 2017

Perdue with Brett Kavanaugh in 2018

Perdue with Amy Coney Barrett in 2020

2014 U.S. Senate Campaign

When Perdue ran for the U.S. Senate, he often talked about his business experience. He highlighted his time at Dollar General, saying he helped create jobs and increase the company's value. The National Federation of Independent Business supported his campaign.

During the campaign, some opponents criticized his business record. They pointed out that some of his past jobs involved moving work overseas. They also mentioned the job losses after he left Pillowtex.

Perdue's campaign had to pay a fine for issues with fundraising reports. This was due to receiving contributions that were not allowed or that exceeded legal limits. Despite this, Perdue won the election. He defeated Democratic candidate Michelle Nunn with 52.89% of the vote.

Senate Career

In 2016, Perdue made a comment about praying for President Barack Obama. He quoted a Bible verse that some interpreted as wishing for Obama to leave office. Perdue's office later clarified that he did not wish harm to the president.

In 2018, a student accused Perdue of taking their phone during a campaign event. The student was recording the conversation. The student later filed a lawsuit.

Perdue became Georgia's senior senator when Johnny Isakson resigned in 2019. As of 2018, Perdue was one of the wealthiest members of the Senate.

In 2019, Perdue wrote to the Treasury Secretary about tax breaks for sports team owners. Sports team owners had donated money to his campaigns. Perdue's campaign said this request was related to his background in sportswear.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

In early 2020, Perdue urged people to follow public health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. He advised staying home if sick, washing hands, and keeping a safe distance. He also encouraged Americans to wear masks.

In May 2020, Perdue said that the U.S. had "ordinary flu seasons with more deaths" than COVID-19. However, medical experts predicted that COVID-19 would be much deadlier than the flu. The death toll from COVID-19 later proved this to be true.

Perdue supported ending lockdowns in Georgia early. He believed it was important to reopen the economy. Georgia later saw an increase in COVID-19 cases in the summer of 2020.

He praised President Trump's handling of the pandemic. When asked about his past criticism of Obama's response to Ebola, Perdue said the situations were different.

2020–21 U.S. Senate Campaign

Perdue ran for reelection in 2020. During his campaign, he made claims about his opponent, Jon Ossoff, being supported by the Communist Party. He also ran an ad that distorted Ossoff's image. This ad was criticized as possibly using an anti-Semitic stereotype. Perdue's campaign removed the ad, calling it an "inadvertent error."

In October 2020, Perdue seemed to mispronounce Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris's name. Some people thought he did this on purpose. A spokesperson for Perdue said it was simply a mispronunciation.

During a debate, Ossoff accused Perdue of downplaying the pandemic while making stock trades. Perdue later chose not to attend the final debate against Ossoff.

No candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the November 2020 election. This led to a runoff election in January 2021 between Perdue and Ossoff. After the November election, Perdue claimed there were "failures" in the election. He called for Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, to resign. Perdue also supported a lawsuit trying to overturn the election results.

In December 2020, Perdue and his wife announced they were quarantining due to COVID-19 exposure. Perdue's term ended on January 3, 2021. On January 5, he lost the runoff election to Ossoff. Perdue later accepted his defeat.

2022 Georgia Gubernatorial Election

In December 2021, Perdue announced he would challenge Brian Kemp in the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election. Former President Donald Trump supported Perdue. Perdue stated he would not have certified the 2020 elections if he had been governor. He also filed a lawsuit that repeated claims of fraud about the 2020 election.

Perdue pledged to create a new police unit to investigate election fraud. He also said he would abolish the state income tax. Governor Kemp criticized Perdue's past business history of moving jobs overseas. Perdue lost the primary election to Kemp by a large margin.

Political Positions

Environment and Climate Change

Perdue does not agree with the scientific view on climate change. He has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He supported the appointment of Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator. Perdue was one of 22 Republican senators who urged President Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement.

Economy

In December 2017, Perdue voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He supported the 2017 budget, believing tax cuts would boost the economy.

Perdue supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. This would require the government to spend only what it takes in.

In September 2018, Perdue was one of six Republican senators who voted against a large spending bill. This bill was meant to prevent a government shutdown.

Perdue opposed a proposed Rivian electric vehicle factory near Atlanta. He criticized the company and the taxpayer incentives offered to it.

Foreign Policy

In March 2017, Perdue supported the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This bill would make it a federal crime to encourage boycotts against Israel.

Health Care

Perdue opposed the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He voted to repeal it. In 2017, he supported replacing Obamacare with the Better Care Reconciliation Act. This bill was projected to leave many more Americans without health insurance.

During his 2020 reelection campaign, Perdue said he believed in protections for people with existing health conditions. However, PolitiFact rated this claim as "false." They noted his opposition to Obamacare and support for policies that might not cover all existing conditions.

Immigration

In 2017, Perdue and Tom Cotton proposed the RAISE Act. This plan would reduce legal immigration to the U.S. by 50% over 10 years. It would also change how families can reunite and create a points-based system for skilled immigrants.

In June 2019, Perdue supported President Trump's decision to place tariffs on Mexico. This was meant to stop illegal immigration from Mexico. Perdue said, "We're being invaded right now."

Education

Perdue opposed the Common Core education plan. He said he supported the "original intent" but disagreed with the "details" and how it would be managed. He believed Common Core had become too broad and should be stopped.

Same-Sex Marriage

Perdue opposed same-sex marriage.

Personal Life

David Perdue married Bonnie Dunn in August 1972. They live in Sea Island, Georgia. They have two sons, David A. Perdue III and Blake Perdue, and three grandchildren. They also had a daughter who passed away as an infant.

Electoral History

2014 Senate election

2020 Senate election

2022 Georgia gubernatorial election

Images for kids

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  Perdue (right) with Republican Senator Tom Cotton and President Donald Trump.

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  Perdue at the 2016 Republican National Convention

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