NEW: SW GA Dem lawmaker running for Agriculture Commish
State Rep. Winfred Dukes enters race to be Georgia's farming chief
Longtime Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, creating the first open race for the office since 2010. It is set to be another competitive race in an evenly divided state.
Democratic State Rep. Winfred Dukes announced on Tuesday that he will run to succeed Black. A native of Albany, Dukes is among the few statewide Democratic candidates to hail from outside of the metro Atlanta area. If elected, Dukes would be the first African-American Agriculture Commissioner in Georgia history.
First elected to the Georgia House in 1996, his campaign says in a news release that he was “he was born and raised surrounded by the farm industry” and that his years of legislative experience makes him an “outstanding candidate” for Agriculture Commissioner.
“One in seven Georgians works in agriculture, forestry, or related fields. Dukes will use his experience on the Appropriations and Agricultural committees to create good paying jobs with benefits and profitable farms throughout the state. He will fight for diversifying markets and growing a healthy agribusiness sector, sustainable agriculture, and access to healthy, locally grown food.”
His campaign goes on to say that he will embark on a “listening tour” throughout the state to hear from concerned Georgians. But he starts off with the disadvantage of being unable to raise campaign cash during the Georgia General Assembly’s 40-day legislative session.
However, he enters the race with two noteworthy endorsements: Former Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and State Rep. Karen Bennett, the former chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.
Other candidates are also vying to succeed Black. Nakita Hemingway, a Gwinnett Democrat who ran for a State House seat in 2020, is running in the Democratic primary. Fred Swann, Black’s 2018 opponent, is making a second run. On the Republican side, State Sen. Tyler Harper, a protégé of Black, is running to succeed his former boss.
The Agriculture Commissioner is a statewide elected position that oversees the Georgia Department of Agriculture. With an annual revenue of more than $70 billion, agriculture remains the largest industry in the state.