Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
| Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $121,557 |
| 2021 FY Budget: | $58,095,760 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Georgia Code, 33-2-1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
| Gary Black | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Last election: | November 6, 2018 |
| Other Georgia Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Treasurer•Auditor•Superintendent of Schools•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Natural Resources Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Public Service Commission | |
The Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture is a state executive position in the Georgia state government. The commissioner heads the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for regulating and promoting Georgia's agriculture industry. Like many Georgia state executive officers, the commissioner is elected to four year-terms during federal midterm election years.[1]
Current officeholder
The current commissioner is Gary Black, a Republican, who was first elected on November 2, 2010, and took office on January 10, 2011. Black won re-election in 2014 and 2018.
Before becoming commissioner, Black co-managed the Georgia Food Industry Partneship for 13 years. He has also served as president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council and as a field representative in the Georgia Farm Bureau. Black holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from the University of Georgia.[2]
Authority
The office of agriculture commissioner, though mentioned in the Georgia Constitution, is formally established in state law.[3]
Georgia Code, 33-2-1
|
The department shall be under the control and management of the Commissioner of Agriculture... |
Qualifications
Per Article V, Section 3, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution, the commissioner of agriculture must, at the time of his election:
- Have been a citizen of the U.S. for 10 years
- A legal resident of Georgia for four years
- 25 years old
Georgia Constitution, Article V, Section 3, Paragraph II
|
(a) No person shall be eligible to the office of the Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, or Commissioner of Labor unless such person shall have been a citizen of the United States for ten years and a legal resident of the state for four years immediately preceding election or appointment and shall have attained the age of 25 years by the date of assuming office. All of said officers shall take such oath and give bond and security, as prescribed by law, for the faithful discharge of their duties. [4] |
Elections
The commissioner is elected "at the same time and hold[s] [his] office for the same term as the Governor."
Georgia Constitution, Article V, Section 3, Paragraph I
|
The Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Commissioner of Labor shall be elected in the manner prescribed for the election of members of the General Assembly and the electors shall be the same. Such executive officers shall be elected at the same time and hold their offices for the same term as the Governor. [4] |
2018
General election
General election for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Gary Black defeated Fred Swann in the general election for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Gary Black (R) | 53.1 | 2,040,097 |
 | Fred Swann (D) | 46.9 | 1,803,383 | |
| Total votes: 3,843,480 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Fred Swann advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Fred Swann | 100.0 | 444,869 |
| Total votes: 444,869 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Gary Black advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gary Black | 100.0 | 481,263 |
| Total votes: 481,263 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Gary Black Incumbent |
58.3% | 1,462,039 | |
| Democrat | Christopher Irvin | 41.7% | 1,047,339 | |
| Total Votes | 2,509,378 | |||
| Election results via Georgia Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
There are no term limits for the office of agriculture commissioner.
Vacancies
If a vacancy occurs, the governor fills it, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Georgia Senate. Vacancy procedures are laid out in Article V, Section 2, Paragraph VIII of the Georgia Constitution.[4]
Duties
The commissioner manages the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which regulates and promotes the produce of Georgia's agricultural industry.
According to the department's website, "the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates, monitors, or assists with the following areas: grocery stores, convenience stores, food warehouses, bottling plants, food processing plants, pet dealers and breeders, animal health, gasoline quality and pump calibration, antifreeze, weights and measures, marketing of Georgia agricultural products domestically and internationally, pesticides, structural pest control, meat processing plants, seed quality, Vidalia onions, state farmers markets, plant diseases, nurseries and garden centers, fertilizer and lime, potting soil; feed, boll weevil eradication, apiaries, Humane Care for Equines Act, bottled water, and other responsibilities."[1]
Divisions
- Updated January 13, 2021
- Animal Industry
- Communications
- Constituent Services
- Consumer Protection
- Finance
- Food Safety
- Fuel & Measures
- Information Technology
- Inspector General
- Laboratory
- Legal Services
- Licensing
- Marketing
- Plant Industry
State budget
- See also: Georgia state budget and finances
The budget for the Department of Agriculture in Fiscal Year 2021 was $58,095,760.[5]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of elected executive officials in Georgia are determined by state law as mandated in the Georgia Constitution. Article V of the state constitution indicates that the Georgia State Legislature determines salaries for governor, lieutenant governor and "other elected executives."[6]
Article V, Section 3, Paragraph III
| Text of Paragraph III:
Powers, Duties, Compensation, and Allowances of Other Executive Officers Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the General Assembly shall prescribe the powers, duties, compensation, and allowances of the above executive officers and provide assistance and expenses necessary for the operation of the department of each.[7] |
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $121,557, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2010
In 2010, the commissioner received a salary of $121,556, according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Georgia Commissioner Agriculture. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Address:
19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-3600
E-mail: gary.black@agr.georgia.gov
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Georgia Department of Agriculture, "About Us," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Georgia Department of Agriculture, "Meet the Commissioner," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Georgia Code, "2-2-2," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Georgia Secretary of State, "Constitution of the State of Georgia," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, “Appropriations Bills,” 74," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "Georgia Constitution Art. V," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedga - ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed January 13, 2021
| ||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small}
