David Jackson, and Steph Solis

USA TODAY

President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate ex-Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for the secretary of Agriculture post on Thursday, said two people close to the confirmation confirmed Perdue's nomination, speaking on condition of anonymity because it has not been made officially.

That is expected on Thursday, a day before Trump is sworn into office in Washington, D.C.

Perdue, 70, served on Trump's agriculture advisory committee during the election campaign. Weeks after Trump was elected, Perdue met with the president-elect in Trump Tower in New York City.

"I'm interested in helping the country," Perdue told reporters Nov. 30 in the lobby of Trump Tower. "I told the president-elect Trump that I would be happy to serve from Georgia, where I am very happily living with my wife and 14 grandchildren, or I'd be happy to serve him if he thought I could be helpful to him here in D.C."

The Perry, Ga., native started his political career as a Democratic state senator in 1992. He switched to the Republican Party six years later. He was elected governor of Georgia in 2002 and served until stepping down in 2011. Months later, he launched Perdue Partners and Perdue Consulting Group. He created Perdue Partners, an international trading company, with three of his state government appointees, including his cousin and Sen. David Perdue.

“I could not be more proud of my cousin, Sonny, for being named the next Secretary of Agriculture," the senator, who was a Trump surrogate during the campaign, said in a statement. "Sonny’s executive experience as a two-term Governor of Georgia, the first Republican in 135 years, as well as his veterinary background and agribusiness career, are a few of the many reasons he is the best person for the job."