After a long wait that caused no shortage of nervous fidgeting among the ag sector, Donald Trump has finally selected a candidate for Secretary of Agriculture.
Politico reports that Trump has tapped former two-term Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to head up the department. This selection should please ag business executives, as Perdue has a history of supporting farm groups. However, the choice has rankled diversity advocates, who note that this choice goes further to avoid diversity. In a statement last month, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials noted that the complete absence of any Hispanics in Trump’s Cabinet marks a “historic and alarming step backwards for America.” At least two Hispanics were considered for the job: Elsa Murano, a Cuban-born professor at Texas A&M University, and Abel Maldonado, a former California lieutenant governor and strawberry farmer.
