Former ag secretary Vilsack wins $150,000 Powerball prize

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack claimed a $150,000 prize after entering the Powerball lottery game.

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Matt Strawn, left, Iowa Lottery CEO, presents former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack with a replica check, representing Vilsack’s $150,000 Powerball prize. (Iowa Lottery)
Matt Strawn, left, Iowa Lottery CEO, presents former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack with a replica check, representing Vilsack’s $150,000 Powerball prize. (Iowa Lottery)

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack claimed a $150,000 prize after entering the Powerball lottery game.

Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary during all but one week of President Barack Obama’s presidential term, claimed his prize on February 10.

According to a press release from the Iowa Lottery, Vilsack was a winner during the January 22 drawing, but he did not check his ticket until about ten days later. He found out that he had matched the Powerball on one of his plays, and he was only one number away from winning that night’s jackpot, estimated at $347 million.

Vilsack already has plans on how to utilize his earnings.

“The church is going to get a little bit of it, St. Boniface, I’m going to send that check out today,” he said in the press release. “And the kids are going to get a little bit because you always try to help your kids out. And then the rest is going to go to my banker. And he’s going to be very pleased to get it. Because we still have an outstanding mortgage from many years ago and this will help pay it down to the point where retirement can be a little bit more comfortable than it might have otherwise been.”

Vilsack purchased the ticket at a Hy-Vee store.

Prior to becoming U.S. agriculture secretary, Vilsack served as the governor of Iowa. He was also previously the mayor of Mount Pleasant and a member of the Iowa State Senate.

Following his tenure with the Obama administration, Vilsack was appointed as the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, a position he still holds.

While secretary of agriculture, Vilsack oversaw the passage of the 2014 farm bill, as well as the response efforts for two major animal disease events: the 2013-2014 porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak and the 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak.

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