Trump to tap Southerner for Agriculture head

President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to head the Agriculture Department, the last Cabinet position left to fill. Perdue, 70, grew up in a farming family and built businesses in grain trading and trucking before entering politics. Despite his background in agriculture, Perdue may face some opposition from lawmakers representing the Midwest, where the last three Agriculture secretaries have come from. Support for farm bills, which often center around subsidies for corn and soybean growers, typically divides along regional lines. Southerners want to see more funding for rice and cotton, which are more costly to grow. Perdue started his political career as a Democrat but switched parties as Georgia became increasingly conservative. He was elected in 2002 as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.