History of David Perdue in Timeline
David Alfred Perdue Jr. is a former United States Senator from Georgia (2015-2021), belonging to the Republican Party. Before entering politics, he had a career as a business executive. In 2022, he ran for Governor of Georgia but lost.
December 10, 1949: David Perdue Jr. Born
David Perdue Jr. was born on December 10, 1949.
1961: Father Begins as Superintendent
David Perdue Jr.'s father began his role as the elected superintendent of schools for Houston County, Georgia, in 1961.
June 1968: Attends Air Force Academy
David Perdue Jr. started attending the United States Air Force Academy in June 1968.
1969: Leaves Air Force Academy
In 1969, David Perdue Jr. dropped out of the United States Air Force Academy.
August 1972: David Perdue Marries Bonnie Dunn
In August 1972, David Perdue married Bonnie Dunn, with whom he has lived in Sea Island, Georgia. The couple had a daughter who died in infancy, two sons, and three grandchildren.
1972: Starts Consulting Career
David Perdue Jr. began his career as a management consultant at Kurt Salmon Associates in 1972.
1972: Earns Bachelor's Degree
David Perdue Jr. earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech in 1972.
1975: Earns Master's Degree
David Perdue Jr. earned a master's degree in operations research from Georgia Tech in 1975.
1980: Father Ends Tenure as Superintendent
David Perdue Jr.'s father's time as superintendent of schools for Houston County, Georgia concluded in 1980.
1984: Leaves Consulting Firm
David Perdue Jr. left Kurt Salmon Associates in 1984, ending his 12-year tenure as a management consultant.
1991: Managing Director at Gitano Group
In 1991, David Perdue Jr. became a managing director at Gitano Group Inc.
1992: Joins Sara Lee Corporation
David Perdue Jr. joined Sara Lee Corporation as senior vice president of Asia operations in 1992.
1998: Joins Reebok
David Perdue Jr. joined Reebok as a senior vice president in 1998, later becoming president and CEO.
June 2002: Becomes CEO of PillowTex
David Perdue Jr. became CEO of PillowTex in June 2002.
July 2003: PillowTex Announces Closure
PillowTex announced its closure in July 2003, after David Perdue Jr. had left the company.
2003: PillowTex Bankruptcy
David Perdue Jr. left PillowTex in 2003, shortly before the company went bankrupt.
2007: Begins Consulting for Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
David Perdue Jr. began working as a senior consultant for Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. in 2007.
2007: Dollar General Sale and Lawsuits
David Perdue Jr. oversaw the sale of Dollar General in 2007, which led to shareholder lawsuits alleging undervaluing.
2008: Receives Compensation from Dollar General
David Perdue Jr. received $42 million in compensation from Dollar General in 2008.
2009: Ends Consulting for Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
David Perdue Jr. ended his work as a senior consultant for Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd. in 2009.
July 2010: Appointed to Georgia Ports Authority
In July 2010, David Perdue Jr. was appointed as a director of the Georgia Ports Authority.
2010: Joins Cardlytics Board
David Perdue Jr. joined the board of directors of Cardlytics in 2010.
January 2011: Cousin's Term Ends
David Perdue Jr.'s cousin, Sonny Perdue, ended his term as governor in January 2011.
April 2011: Starts Perdue Partners
David Perdue Jr. started Perdue Partners, an Atlanta-based global trading firm, in April 2011.
December 2012: Acquires Benton Express
Perdue Partners acquired Benton Express in December 2012, renaming it Benton Global.
February 2013: Benton Global Starts Hauling Cargo
Benton Global started directly hauling cargo from the port in February 2013.
2014: Leaves Cardlytics Board
David Perdue Jr. left the board of directors of Cardlytics in 2014.
2014: First Senate Election
In 2014, David Perdue Jr. first ran for and won a seat in the US Senate, defeating Michelle Nunn.
2014: Campaign Finance Violations
In 2014, David Perdue Jr.'s campaign paid a fine for violations in fundraising reports.
2014: Perdue Criticizes Obama's Ebola Response
In 2014, David Perdue criticized President Obama's handling of the Ebola outbreak, which resulted in four cases and two deaths in the US.
2015: Begins US Senate Term
David Perdue Jr. began his term as a US Senator for Georgia in 2015.
2015: Perdue Co-sponsors Legislation Against Same-Sex Marriage
In 2015, following the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, David Perdue co-sponsored legislation allowing federal contractors and employees to oppose same-sex marriage based on moral or religious beliefs.
February 2016: Perdue Invests in Halyard Amidst Opioid Epidemic Hearings
In February 2016, around the time the Senate held hearings on the opioid crisis, Perdue invested in Halyard, a company selling opioid alternative medical devices. He later profited substantially from this investment, while maintaining his broker's independence.
June 2016: Controversial Prayer Remarks
In June 2016, David Perdue Jr. made controversial remarks about praying for Barack Obama, citing Psalm 109:8.
February 2017: Perdue Attempts to Deregulate Prepaid Debit Card Industry
In February 2017, Perdue took steps to lessen regulations imposed on the prepaid debit card industry by the CFPB.
March 2017: Perdue Co-Sponsors Israel Anti-Boycott Act
In March 2017, David Perdue co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which aimed to criminalize American participation in boycotts against Israel.
May 2017: Perdue Claims Credit for Concessions on Debit Card Regulations
In May 2017, Perdue claimed responsibility for "significant concessions" in the regulations applied to the prepaid debit card industry.
June 2017: Perdue Begins Investing in First Data
Starting in June 2017, Perdue began investments in First Data, a company heavily involved in the prepaid debit card industry. This coincided with policy changes and a merger that impacted the company's stock. Perdue's office attributed these trades to independent financial advisors.
December 2017: Perdue Votes for Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
In December 2017, David Perdue voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the 2017 budget, despite the potential for increased deficits, arguing that the tax cuts would stimulate economic growth and ultimately generate more revenue.
2017: Perdue's Frequent Stock Trading While on Senate Committees
During 2017, as a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Perdue actively traded stocks in companies like Regions Financial, which later benefited from a deregulation bill he co-sponsored. His office claimed all trades were conducted independently by his broker.
2017: Flu Deaths in 2017-2018
During the 2017-2018 flu season, the United States recorded 61,000 deaths due to influenza.
2017: Perdue and Harris Serve Together in the Senate
In 2017, David Perdue and Kamala Harris began serving together in the U.S. Senate.
2017: Perdue Co-sponsors the RAISE Act
In 2017, David Perdue co-sponsored the RAISE Act alongside Tom Cotton, proposing a reduction in legal immigration to the United States by 50% over a decade and changing the immigration system to favor skilled immigrants.
2017: Perdue Supports Pruitt's EPA Appointment
In 2017, David Perdue expressed strong support for Scott Pruitt's appointment as EPA administrator, stating Pruitt was "the next best thing" to eliminating the EPA altogether.
2017: Perdue Supports Repeal of Obamacare
In 2017, David Perdue voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, and supported replacing it with the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which was projected to result in millions of Americans losing health insurance coverage.
January 11, 2018: Perdue Attends White House Meeting Where Trump Makes Derogatory Remarks
On January 11, 2018, David Perdue attended a White House meeting where President Trump allegedly referred to certain countries as "shithole nations." Perdue initially claimed no recollection of the remarks, then later denied Trump used the word, suggesting it was a "gross misrepresentation." Reports later emerged that Perdue privately believed Trump said "shithouse."
February 2018: Perdue Ranked Among Wealthiest Senators
In February 2018, based on financial disclosures, Roll Call calculated Perdue's net worth to be $15.8 million, ranking him as one of the wealthiest members of the Senate.
April 2018: Perdue Signs Letter on North Korea's Chemical Weapon Supply
In April 2018, David Perdue signed a letter urging the Trump administration to respond to revelations that North Korea was supplying components of chemical weapons to Syria.
May 2018: Deregulation Bill Benefits Perdue's Stock Holdings
In May 2018, a deregulation bill co-sponsored by Perdue, aimed at medium-sized banks, became law. This benefited Perdue's investment in Regions Financial, which saw a 35% increase since he bought shares. His office maintains his broker acted independently.
September 2018: Perdue Votes Against Spending Bill
In September 2018, David Perdue joined a small group of senators, including Bernie Sanders, who voted against a large spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
October 13, 2018: Incident with Student's Phone
On October 13, 2018, David Perdue Jr. snatched a student's phone during a campaign visit, leading to a lawsuit.
2018: Perdue Campaigns for Raffensperger
In 2018, David Perdue campaigned for Brad Raffensperger in the Georgia secretary of state race.
2018: Flu Death Statistics Used in COVID-19 Comparison
In 2018, as part of the 2017-2018 flu season, there were 61,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. This number became relevant in 2020 when Perdue compared it to COVID-19 death tolls, downplaying the pandemic's severity.
2018: Perdue Supports Short-term Health Plans
In 2018, during his reelection campaign, David Perdue supported longer extensions for short-term health insurance plans, which could exclude coverage for preexisting conditions, despite claiming he supports protections for such conditions.
January 2019: Perdue Invests in BWX Technologies
In January 2019, before becoming chair of the Seapower subcommittee, Perdue invested heavily in BWX Technologies, a company producing nuclear submarine parts.
April 2019: Perdue Continues Investing in First Data
Perdue's investments in First Data continued until April 2019. This investment period overlapped with his efforts to deregulate the prepaid debit card industry and a significant merger involving the company.
June 2019: Perdue Supports Tariffs on Mexico
In June 2019, David Perdue backed President Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Mexico unless illegal immigration was halted, describing the situation as an invasion.
November 2019: Perdue Blocks Vote on Armenian Genocide Recognition
In November 2019, David Perdue, at the request of the White House, blocked a vote that sought to officially recognize the Armenian genocide.
2019: Perdue Advocates for Tax Breaks for Sports Team Owners
In 2019, Perdue contacted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin regarding tax breaks for professional sports team owners, whose family members had donated over $425,000 to Perdue's campaigns. Mnuchin did not implement the requested change, and Perdue's 2020 campaign cited his leadership at Reebok to justify the request.
2019: Perdue Sells Washington Home
In 2019, Perdue sold his Washington, D.C. residence to a FINRA governor for $1.8 million. While some claimed the price was above market value, multiple appraisals and expert opinions countered this assertion, stating that the sale price was fair. Furthermore, Perdue used a real estate agent and claimed no direct contact with the buyer.
December 31, 2019: Perdue Becomes Georgia's Senior Senator
On December 31, 2019, David Perdue became Georgia's senior senator following the resignation of Johnny Isakson.
January 2020: Perdue Supports Soleimani Assassination
In January 2020, David Perdue expressed his support for the US military's drone strike that resulted in the assassination of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport.
January 23, 2020: Perdue Sells Cardlytics Stock Before Share Drop
On January 23, 2020, Perdue sold over $1 million in Cardlytics stock just before its value declined significantly, following an email from the company's CEO. Despite investigations, no insider trading was confirmed.
January 24, 2020: Perdue Invests in DuPont Amidst COVID-19 Briefing
On January 24, 2020, coinciding with a Senate briefing on COVID-19, Perdue invested in DuPont, a PPE manufacturer. In the following months, his stock trading activity intensified, attracting criticism and allegations of insider trading.
March 2020: Perdue Urges Public to Follow Health Guidelines
In late March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Perdue publicly encouraged adherence to health official guidelines, emphasizing staying home, handwashing, and social distancing.
March 2020: Perdue's Stock Trading Activity Increases During Pandemic
Perdue's stock trading activity saw a sharp increase in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, including investments in Pfizer and the sale of stocks in Caesars Entertainment.
May 2020: Perdue Halts Individual Stock Trading Amidst Scrutiny
Facing scrutiny over his stock trading during the pandemic, Perdue announced in May 2020 that his advisors would cease trading individual stocks.
May 2020: Perdue Downplays COVID-19 Severity
In May 2020, Perdue downplayed the severity of COVID-19, incorrectly claiming that past flu seasons had higher death tolls. This contradicted existing data and expert predictions, which proved to be accurate as COVID-19 deaths surged later in the year.
May 2020: Perdue Supports Ending Georgia Lockdowns
In May 2020, Perdue supported the premature ending of lockdowns in Georgia despite warnings from medical experts. A subsequent surge in COVID-19 cases proved these concerns valid.
June 2020: Alleged Ethics Committee Investigation Conclusion
Perdue claimed in June 2020 that the Senate Ethics Committee had privately cleared him of wrongdoing regarding his stock trades, but no public disclosure of such an investigation exists.
July 2020: Perdue Advocates for Mask Wearing
By July 2020, Perdue actively advocated for mask-wearing as a measure to control the COVID-19 outbreak. This came after initial calls for basic health precautions in the earlier months of the pandemic.
August 2020: Georgia Experiences COVID-19 Surge
Following the lifting of lockdowns, Georgia experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in August 2020.
September 2020: Perdue Defends Trump's Pandemic Response
In September 2020, David Perdue defended President Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, contrasting it with his earlier criticism of Obama's response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. He justified the seemingly inconsistent positions by claiming the situations were "totally different." Following leaked recordings of Trump admitting he downplayed the virus's severity, Perdue argued Trump was "trying to manage the psyche of the country."
October 2020: Perdue Mocks Kamala Harris's Name
In October 2020, David Perdue was criticized for repeatedly mispronouncing then-Senator Kamala Harris's name during a campaign event. While his campaign attributed it to a simple mispronunciation, some commentators suggested it was a deliberate attempt to appeal to a predominantly white audience given his history of serving with Harris in the Senate since 2017.
November 2020: Perdue's Cardlytics Stock Rebounds
By November 2020, Perdue's reinvestment in Cardlytics, made after the stock's initial drop, had significantly increased in value.
November 2020: Questions Election Results
Following the November 2020 presidential election, David Perdue Jr. questioned the results and called for the resignation of Georgia's top election official.
December 2020: Lack of Public Disclosure on Ethics Investigation
As of December 2020, there was still no public confirmation or details regarding the Senate Ethics Committee investigation into Perdue's stock trading that Perdue had alluded to.
December 2020: Perdue Contests 2020 Election Results
Following the November 2020 election, David Perdue made unsubstantiated claims of election "failures" and called for Raffensperger's resignation, despite having campaigned for him in 2018. He also supported a lawsuit to overturn the results and missed his runoff debate against Jon Ossoff.
December 2020: Perdue Quarantines Due to COVID-19 Exposure
In December 2020, David Perdue and his wife quarantined after potential exposure to COVID-19, despite testing negative the previous day. Outside groups spent substantially more money supporting Perdue than his opponent, Jon Ossoff, in the runoff election.
2020: Perdue's Senate Reelection Campaign
During his 2020 Senate reelection campaign, David Perdue faced criticism for repeatedly making false claims about his opponent, Jon Ossoff, including alleging an endorsement by the Communist Party. An ad run by his campaign enlarged Ossoff's nose, which was condemned as anti-Semitic, prompting the campaign to pull the ad and blame it on an "inadvertent error" by their design firm.
2020: Insider Trading Scandal
In 2020, David Perdue Jr. was linked to a congressional insider trading scandal, although the Department of Justice closed its inquiry without charges.
2020: Perdue's Campaign Addresses Tax Break Controversy
In 2020, Perdue's campaign attributed his 2019 request for tax breaks for sports team owners to his history with sportswear companies, including Reebok. This explanation came after scrutiny over the connection between the request and the donations received from the owners' families.
2020: Perdue Profits from BWX Technologies Investment
In 2020, after securing billions in funding for submarines using BWX parts, Perdue profited significantly from his investment in the company. His office maintained his lack of personal involvement in trading decisions.
2020: Perdue's Stance on Climate Change
In 2020, despite living in a beachfront community actively constructing seawalls to address rising sea levels, David Perdue rejected the scientific consensus on climate change. He also supported Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
2020: Perdue Questions 2020 Election Results
In 2020, during his gubernatorial campaign, David Perdue questioned the validity of the 2020 election results.
2020: Perdue's Reelection Campaign Health Care Stance
In 2020, during his reelection campaign, David Perdue claimed to believe in protections for preexisting conditions, a statement rated false by PolitiFact due to his support for policies contrary to that claim.
January 1, 2021: Perdue Misses Veto Override Vote
On January 1, 2021, David Perdue was absent for the vote to override President Trump's veto of the defense spending bill.
January 3, 2021: Perdue's Senate Term Expires; Runoff Loss
David Perdue's Senate term expired on January 3, 2021, while the runoff election against Jon Ossoff was pending. After initially appearing to contest the outcome, Perdue conceded to Ossoff two days after losing the runoff on January 5.
January 5, 2021: Loses Senate Runoff Election
On January 5, 2021, David Perdue Jr. lost the runoff election for the US Senate to Jon Ossoff.
January 2021: Perdue's Role in Post-Election Challenges
In January 2021, after the November 2020 election went to a runoff, David Perdue criticized Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for recording a conversation with then-President Trump, where Trump pressured Raffensperger to alter the election results. Perdue downplayed Trump's actions while focusing on the recording itself. Perdue also skipped a runoff debate with Ossoff in December 2020.
February 2021: Perdue Considers, Then Declines 2022 Senate Run
In February 2021, David Perdue briefly considered running against Raphael Warnock in the 2022 Senate election, but decided against it a few days later.
December 6, 2021: Perdue Announces Gubernatorial Run
On December 6, 2021, endorsed by Donald Trump, David Perdue announced his candidacy for the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election, challenging incumbent Brian Kemp in the Republican primary.
2021: Ends US Senate Term
David Perdue Jr. ended his term as a US Senator for Georgia in 2021.
2022: Loses Gubernatorial Primary
David Perdue Jr. lost the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial primary to Brian Kemp.
2022: Perdue Does Not Run For Senate
David Perdue ultimately chose not to run in the 2022 Senate race.
2022: False Claims of Stolen Election
During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, David Perdue Jr. falsely claimed that his 2020 Senate election was "stolen."
2022: Perdue's Gubernatorial Campaign
During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Perdue pledged not to certify the 2020 election had he been governor, filed a lawsuit alleging election fraud, proposed a special police unit to investigate election crimes, and promised to abolish the state income tax. He faced criticism from Kemp over his history of outsourcing jobs and ultimately lost the primary by a significant margin.
2022: Unsuccessful Gubernatorial Run
In 2022, David Perdue Jr. unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Georgia.
