Black received a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education from the University of Georgia.[2] He spent 40 years in the farm business[3] and is a cattle farmer in Jackson County,[4] specifically in Commerce.[5] Until his 2010 campaign for agriculture commissioner, Black's primary job was president and lobbyist for the Georgia Agribusiness Council,[5] a position to which he was elected in 1989 and held for 21 years.[6] He had previously held positions at the Georgia Farm Bureau.[6]
Political career
Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia
Black was the Republican nominee for agriculture commissioner in 2006,[2] but was defeated by Democrat Tommy Irvin, a 37-year incumbent.[4] In 2004 and 2008, he had positions on the Bush-Cheney and McCain-Palin campaigns.[2]
In 2010, Irvin decided not to seek election to an eleventh term as agriculture commissioner, and Black was elected to the open seat.[7] Black was twice reelected agriculture commissioner by large margins.[3] Upon taking office, Black ordered the removal of a part of a 1956 mural by George Beattie from the lobby of the Georgia Department of Agriculture building; the removed murals included idealized images of plantation slaves in Georgia harvesting sugarcane, picking cotton, and using a cotton gin. Black said at the time that he shared others' views that the images were distasteful, and that he wanted to depict a better picture of agriculture in the state.[8]
After Hurricane Michael hit South Georgia, Black was a leading voice pushing for federal relief.[3] Black opposed Obama-era EPA environmental protection regulations, such as proposed rules on pesticides[9] and the Clean Water Rule (also called the Waters of the United States rule), which Black called "wretched" (the rule was ultimately revoked by the Trump administration).[10][11][12]
Black is a supporter of Donald Trump.[3] In 2016, Black endorsed then-candidate Trump, who appointed Black to his agriculture policy advisory council.[13] At the time, Black criticized federal power, especially agricultural regulations.[13]
In June 2021, Black announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2022 to challenge incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock.[3][14] In announcing his Senate run, Black said he intended to rely on his name recognition from prior statewide elections, strong base of rural support, and staunch Trump support.[3] He praised Trump for "all the good things he's done the past four years"[3] and dodged questions about whether he accepted that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president.[3][15] Many of Black's largest campaign contributors were from Georgia agribusiness.[14] About one-third of Georgia's sheriffs, mostly from less populous rural counties, endorsed Black for Senate.[16] During his campaign, Black took conservative stances[3] and opposed the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.[17] Donald Trump endorsed another candidate, Herschel Walker, in the Republican primary.[18]
Electoral history
2010 Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Republican primary election
^"GA – Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
^"November 6, 2018 General Election". GA - Election Night Reporting. Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2018. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
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