
Senator David Perdue is a member of the Republican Party and previously served as a United States senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021. He is the cousin of Sonny Perdue, the former US Secretary of Agriculture. Despite the name coincidence, Senator Perdue is not related to the Perdue family that owns and operates Perdue Chicken. The company has repeatedly denied any connection to the senator, who faced backlash in 2020 for mispronouncing the name of Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee at the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Senator Perdue | David Perdue |
| Relation to Perdue Chicken family | No relation |
| Relation to Sonny Perdue | Cousin |
| Party | Republican |
| Net worth | $15.8 million |
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What You'll Learn

Senator David Perdue is not related to Perdue Chicken's founding family
Senator David Perdue is not related to the founding family of Perdue Chicken. Perdue Chicken, headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, was founded by Arthur Perdue in 1920 and has since been handed down through the family. Today, it is one of the largest chicken product producers in the United States.
Although Senator Perdue is the cousin of Sonny Perdue, the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, he is not related to the Perdue family that owns and operates Perdue Farms, commonly associated with the Perdue Chicken brand. The chicken company has also confirmed this, stating that Senator Perdue has no affiliation with their brand.
The confusion between Senator Perdue and Perdue Chicken arose in 2020 when the senator was criticized for mispronouncing the name of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris during a rally for President Donald Trump. Social media users called for a boycott of Perdue Chicken, believing it was associated with the senator. In response, the company clarified that Senator Perdue had no connection to their brand and that they were a fourth-generation, family-owned poultry company.
Senator David Perdue, a member of the Republican Party, served as a United States senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021. He previously worked as a management consultant and held leadership positions in companies such as Reebok, PillowTex, and Dollar General. During his time in office, he was known for his prolific trading of stocks and his support for policies related to healthcare and immigration.
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He is, however, the cousin of Sonny Perdue, the US Secretary of Agriculture
Senator David Perdue is not related to the Perdue family that owns and operates Perdue Farms, commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken". However, he is the cousin of Sonny Perdue, the US Secretary of Agriculture. Sonny Perdue is a member of the Republican Party and served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He was nominated for the position by President Donald Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate on April 24 of that year.
Sonny Perdue previously served as the 81st governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011 and as a member of the Georgia State Senate from 1991 to 2002. He was first elected to the State Senate as a Democrat in 1991, but switched his party affiliation to Republican in 1998. In 2002, he was elected governor of Georgia, becoming the first Republican to hold the office since the Reconstruction era. He was re-elected in 2006 with nearly 60% of the vote.
Sonny Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary of Agriculture were placed in blind trusts to prevent financial conflicts of interest. However, there was criticism that these arrangements did not sufficiently distance him and his family's ties to his corporation. After his time as Secretary of Agriculture, he founded Perdue Partners in 2011, which facilitated the export of US goods and services.
Senator David Perdue, meanwhile, served as a United States senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party and was one of the wealthiest members of the Senate as of February 2018, with a net worth of $15.8 million. During his time in office, he was the Senate's most prolific trader of stocks, funds, or shares, making almost one-third of all trades among members. He ran for reelection in 2020 but lost to Democrat Jon Ossoff.
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David Perdue is a Republican senator from Georgia
As a senator, Perdue was the most prolific trader of stocks, funds, or shares, making almost one-third of all trades among members. He traded in companies with interests in the committees he sat on, including banks, cybersecurity firms, and defense firms. Perdue's net worth was estimated at $15.8 million as of February 2018, making him one of the wealthiest members of the Senate.
David Perdue is not related to the Perdue family that owns Perdue Chicken, despite the coincidence in names. Perdue Chicken is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, and was founded by Arthur Perdue in 1920. The company has been passed down through the family and is now run by Jim Perdue, who took over from his father, Frank.
Senator David Perdue is, however, the cousin of Sonny Perdue, who served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. Sonny Perdue is a member of the Republican Party and previously served as governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011 and as a member of the Georgia State Senate from 1991 to 2002.
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Perdue Chicken is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland
Perdue Chicken, or Perdue Farms, is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland. The company was founded in 1920 by Arthur Perdue, who, along with his wife, Pearl Parsons Perdue, began a small poultry operation on the grounds of their farmhouse. Their only child, Franklin Parsons Perdue, was born the same year.
Arthur Perdue's father had an egg business, which Arthur expanded into a fully integrated chicken company. By the 1980s, the company had become one of the largest poultry producers in the United States. Today, Perdue Chicken is run by Franklin's son, Jim Perdue, who represents the third generation of the family to lead the company. Five members of the next generation of the Perdue family are also actively involved in the business.
Perdue Chicken has been passed down through the family and is now one of the largest chicken product producers in the United States. The company has an estimated $6 billion in sales and has been recognised as one of the most trustworthy companies in America by Newsweek.
Despite the coincidence in names, Senator David Perdue is not related to the Perdue family that owns and operates Perdue Farms. In fact, Senator Perdue faced backlash and calls for a boycott of Perdue Chicken on social media after he appeared to mispronounce the name of Senator Kamala Harris during a rally. The company quickly responded to the boycott calls, clarifying that Senator Perdue has no affiliation with their brand. Senator Perdue is, however, the cousin of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.
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The company was founded in 1920 by Arthur Perdue
Perdue Farms, the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, was founded in 1920 by Arthur Perdue and his wife, Pearl Perdue. The company is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, and is one of the largest chicken product producers in the United States. Arthur Perdue, a railway express agent on Maryland's Eastern Shore, noticed that the most prosperous farmers were those shipping table eggs. Inspired by this observation, Arthur and Pearl, who kept a small flock of chickens, started selling table eggs. In 1925, the couple built their first hatchery and transitioned to selling layer chicks to farmers.
Arthur and Pearl's son, Frank Perdue, joined the family business in 1939 at the age of 19 after dropping out of college. Frank played a pivotal role in the company's success by turning it into a fully integrated chicken company. He assumed leadership of the company, then known as A.W. Perdue & Son, in the 1950s and began contracting with local farmers to raise birds and supply chickens for processing. During this period, the company also opened a second hatchery in North Carolina.
Frank Perdue is widely recognized for his innovative and high-profile advertising campaigns. He appeared as the pitchman in the company's television commercials, with the tagline, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken." This approach was radical at the time, as CEOs typically did not serve as public spokespersons for their firms. Frank's promotional efforts made Perdue Farms the first well-known brand of chicken in the United States.
In 1968, Perdue Farms began operating its first poultry processing plant in Salisbury, achieving full vertical integration and gaining better quality control over every step of the process. This move also increased profits and helped differentiate the company's products in the market. By the 1980s, Frank Perdue had built one of the largest poultry producers in the nation, and his success was reflected in his inclusion on the Forbes 400 list in 1986, with an estimated fortune of $200 million.
In 1991, Frank passed on the leadership of Perdue Farms to his son, Jim Perdue, marking the third generation of the Perdue family at the helm. Jim has continued the family legacy, and under his chairmanship, the company has maintained its position as a leading producer of broiler chickens in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Senator David Perdue is not related to the family that owns Perdue Chicken.
Perdue Chicken was founded by Arthur Perdue in 1920 and has since been handed down through the family. It is currently run by Jim Perdue, Arthur's great-grandson.
Senator David Perdue is the cousin of Sonny Perdue, the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
In 2020, Senator David Perdue was criticised for mispronouncing Senator Kamala Harris's name at a rally. This led to calls on social media for a boycott of Perdue Chicken, with people believing the company was connected to the senator.




































