Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin Endorses Sanford Bishop for Re-election

Albany Herald is reporting that Longtime Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, who is retiring has endorsed Sanford Bishop.

Irvin said, Bishop was there pushing back each time folks in Washington tried to balance the nation’s budget on the backs of farmers, when (folks in Washington) attempted to end the compensation to cotton and peanut farmers for storage costs, and when (folks in Washington) held back on selling crops until they could net better market rates,” Irvin,a Democrat, said in his letter of endorsement. “I don’t even want to think where we would be without his work on the various farm bills

Irvin’s endorsement is just the latest for Bishop. According to the release from Bishop’s campaign, the nine-term congressman previously earned endorsements from the National Rifle Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans’ Vision, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Georgia Association of Educators, former U.S. Drug Czar General Barry McCaffrey, along with three former Commanding Generals at Fort Benning — Major General Jerry White, Major General Kenneth Leuer and Major General Carmen Cavezza.

“Tommy is the Georgia Farmer’s best friend, and I am very happy to have him support me,” Bishop said of Irvin. “Agriculture is the heartbeat of our state’s economy. It does me good knowing that such a leader in the farming community as Commissioner Irvin recognizes that I am doing all I can in Washington to make sure Georgia’s pulse remains strong.”

In related news, Bishop’s campaign announced that he will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. today at 2 at the Dougherty County Courthouse, where his campaign says area state and local elected officials will announce their support for the congressman’s re-election bid.