Johnnie Turner, a 76-year-old Kentucky State Senator, tragically passed away on Tuesday evening, October 22, 2024, due to injuries from a riding lawn mower accident. The accident occurred at his Baxter, Kentucky residence where he accidentally drove into an empty swimming pool.
The incident happened on September 15, resulting in Turner’s lawn mower falling into the deep end of the pool. He was first taken to a local hospital, later transferred by air to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he stayed until his passing. Officials described his struggle for survival as a “hard-fought battle.”
Turner, a Republican, represented the 29th District in eastern Kentucky, comprising Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher counties. He had been a Kentucky Senate member since 2021, after defeating a Democratic incumbent in the 2020 elections. Prior to this, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives between 1999 and 2002.
Prior to his political tenure, Turner was a U.S. Army medic from 1967 to 1969 and later became a well-known lawyer in the area. He was an active member of several professional organizations such as the American Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and Harlan County Bar Association. He also taught Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons training with the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
Popular for his personable demeanor, Turner strongly advocated for the coal industry in his Appalachian district. He often criticized government regulations he felt were restricting the industry’s expansion and concurrently worked to stimulate Kentucky’s economy via horse racing initiatives.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remembered Turner’s aid during a severe flood, saying he was “On the scene, ankle-deep in mud, his equipment from home in tow, ready to help folks in Letcher County.”
Commemorating Turner’s character and resilience, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers remarked that his “remarkable resolve and strength filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss difficult to bear.”
Beyond his legislative obligations, Turner engaged in civic duties, serving as chair on the RedBird Mission School Board and participating in the Task Force on Post Secondary Education. He was also a committed member of Harlan Revitalization and the National Rifle Association.
Turner’s demise has precipitated an unexpected electoral scenario. Since he was running unopposed in the upcoming November election after winning his party’s primary, and his independent contender had previously dropped out, his name stayed on the general election ballot as early voting started in Kentucky. Citizens were able to declare their intention to run as write-in candidates until October 25 at 4 p.m. As of Sunday, October 27, only attorney James Tyler Ward II of Whitesburg had registered as a write-in candidate.
The GOP-led legislature of Kentucky will start its 2025 session in January. Legislators are currently convening in interim committees in preparation for the forthcoming session.