Georgia farm advocates are scrambling to come up with a plan to replace Gov.
Nathan Deal when he leaves office.
Deal will leave office on February 3rd.
The transition team has asked Georgia farmers to nominate two potential replacements, one a candidate who’s already been in the job, and the other a candidate whose qualifications will be the most compelling.
The candidates for governor have not been named yet, but a spokesperson for Deal confirmed that he will leave behind a successor who will run the state.
“I know that he has some family in Georgia and I know he’s leaving the state, but I have some family there as well,” said Georgia Farm Bureau Director Jim McAlpine, who said he was told about the governor’s decision by Deal’s top political adviser.
“That’s a very big deal.
I mean, if I’m in a car accident, I’m going to take my family to Georgia.”
McAlpin said he believes the governor has no intention of leaving his family in the state and he’s not worried about his future in Georgia.
“He’s got a lot of good friends in Georgia, I have no doubt about that,” McAlpi said.
“But if you are leaving the people you love, that’s not good.”
McAllpine said he’s hopeful that the governor will pick a new candidate who will be “strong” and will bring “something to the table” that will “make the transition a lot easier.”
“But that’s really all I can tell you right now,” McAllpin added.
“It’s hard to say at this point.”
The transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Georgia Farm Board is working with a group of potential candidates to identify a successor, the spokesperson said.
The agency has set up a transition office to handle transition planning.
The group includes two current and two prospective candidates, according to McAllpines spokesperson.
McAllpi, who has been working in agriculture for more than 20 years, said the transition team is working to find a candidate that is “strong and competent” and is “in the best interest of the farm community.”
McAleer said that the transition is a “really tough thing to do,” given the history of the agency and the people involved.
“There are a lot more people in the agency than there are in Georgia,” McAleers said.
He added that he expects to have a replacement in place by the time the transition office opens.
In the meantime, he said he hopes the governor finds a new person who has “some experience, some knowledge and some knowledge that’s going to help us get things done.”
McCALLPI, who is also the president of the Georgia Farmers Association, said he has been in contact with the transition staff to see what the plan would be.
“This transition is really tough,” McCallpi said, “but we need to get the job done.”
“We’ve had to go through a lot, and we’ve had some really tough times.
I think that if the governor is really looking to do something and has that deep knowledge and has the ability to help, then that’s where he’s going,” McALLPI added.
McAleers added that the agency would need to find someone who will “help us with our transition,” something he said the governor himself will need to do.
“I’m not worried,” McCalpine said.