ATLANTA (AP) Republican Gary Black has won re-election as Georgia's agriculture commissioner against a Democratic opponent who is the grandson of Black's predecessor. <br />
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Early returns Tuesday showed Black beating Democrat Christopher James Irvin of Toccoa for the office that regulates and promotes Georgia's vast farm economy. <br />
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The challenger's last name should be familiar to many farmers. Irvin's grandfather, Democrat Tommy Irvin, served as the state's agriculture commissioner for four decades before he stepped down in 2010. That's when Black won the open seat. <br />
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The family name didn't help the younger Irvin keep pace with Black at raising money. Black raised more than $1.5 million for his re-election campaign, while Irvin reported less than $52,000 as of Sept. 30.
