Robert L. Turner
Robert L. Turner (born September 14, 1947), is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving eleven terms from 1991 to 2013.[1] Turner currently serves on the City of Racine Police and Fire Commission. Turner was the first African American elected to Wisconsin’s Assembly not from Milwaukee.[2]
Robert L. Turner | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 61st district | |
| In office January 7, 1991 – January 7, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Scott C. Fergus |
| Succeeded by | Samantha Kerkman |
| Member of the Racine City Council | |
| In office 1976–2004 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert L. Turner September 14, 1947 Columbus, Mississippi |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Racine, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Parkside |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1967–1970 |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Biography
Turner was born in Columbus, Mississippi and moved with his family to Racine. He was employed by the J.I. Case Company, and served four years in the United States Air Force Security Police during the Vietnam War, from 1967 through 1970, including service during the 1968 Tet Offensive.[3] He was elected to the City Council in 1976, and was elected to the State Assembly in 1990.[4] He left the City Council in 2004 after serving concurrently as City Councilmember and State Assemblymember for 14 years.[3][5]
After the arrest and resignation of Racine Mayor Gary Becker in 2009, Turner announced his candidacy for the special election to fill the remainder of Becker's term.[6] Turner passed the primary, but was defeated in the runoff by John Dickert. Turner had previously defeated Dickert in the 1990 and 2002 primary elections for Wisconsin Assembly.[7]
He announced his retirement from the Assembly in 2012, after redistricting dramatically reshaped the Racine-area senate and assembly districts. His retirement cleared the way for Cory Mason to run in the redrawn 66th District, which was composed of the southern part of Turner's old 61st District and the eastern part of Mason's old 62nd District.[1]
In 2018, Cory Mason, now Racine Mayor, nominated Turner to the Racine Police and Fire Commission.[8]
Turner is a life member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the American Legion, and a 33rd degree Mason.[4]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1984)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Scott C. Fergus | 1,920 | 43.38% | ||
| Democratic | Robert L. Turner | 1,345 | 30.39% | ||
| Republican | Donald Walsh | 828 | 18.71% | ||
| Democratic | William M. Frank | 333 | 7.52% | ||
| Total votes | '4,426' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Scott C. Fergus | 10,880 | 55.21% | ||
| Republican | Donald Walsh | 8,827 | 44.79% | ||
| Total votes | '19,707' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1990-2008)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner | 2,056 | 46.14% | ||
| Democratic | John Dickert | 1,193 | 26.77% | ||
| Republican | Roderick D. Wilhelmi | 722 | 16.20% | ||
| Democratic | Cathleen A. Cotter | 485 | 10.88% | ||
| Total votes | '4,456' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner | 7,232 | 62.09% | ||
| Republican | Roderick D. Wilhelmi | 4,415 | 37.91% | ||
| Total votes | '11,647' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 3,296 | 78.51% | ||
| Republican | Stella Young | 902 | 21.49% | ||
| Total votes | '4,198' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 11,963 | 66.66% | ||
| Republican | Stella Young | 5,984 | 33.34% | -4.57% | |
| Total votes | '17,947' | '100.0%' | +54.09% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 822 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '822' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 7,464 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '7,464' | '100.0%' | -58.41% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,477 | 98.07% | ||
| U.S. Taxpayers | Thomas Rivers | 16 | 1.06% | ||
| Libertarian | Michael L. Wynhoff | 13 | 0.86% | ||
| Total votes | '1,506' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 10,218 | 85.97% | -14.03% | |
| U.S. Taxpayers | Thomas Rivers | 904 | 7.61% | ||
| Libertarian | Michael L. Wynhoff | 764 | 6.43% | ||
| Total votes | '11,886' | '100.0%' | +59.24% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,535 | 79.12% | ||
| Democratic | Ken Lumpkin | 405 | 20.88% | ||
| Total votes | '1,940' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 9,515 | 100.0% | +14.03% | |
| Total votes | '9,515' | '100.0%' | -19.95% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 848 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '848' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 13,703 | 99.56% | -0.44% | |
| Write-ins | 60 | 0.44% | |||
| Total votes | '13,763' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert L. Turner (incumbent) | 3,194 | 52.25% | ||
| Democratic | John Dickert | 2,919 | 47.75% | ||
| Total votes | '6,113' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 9,525 | 98.15% | -1.41% | |
| Write-ins | 180 | 1.85% | +1.41% | ||
| Total votes | '9,705' | '100.0%' | -29.48% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,536 | 98.78% | ||
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 19 | 1.22% | ||
| Total votes | '1,555' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 17,173 | 89.49% | -8.66% | |
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 1,980 | 10.32% | ||
| Total votes | '19,189' | '100.0%' | +97.72% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,774 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '1,774' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 11,431 | 99.06% | +9.57% | |
| Write-ins | 108 | 0.94% | |||
| Total votes | '11,431' | '100.0%' | -40.43% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,213 | 98.62% | ||
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 17 | 1.38% | ||
| Total votes | '1,230' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 16,267 | 87.71% | -11.35% | |
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 2,242 | 12.09% | ||
| Total votes | '18,547' | '100.0%' | +62.25% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Racine Mayor (2009)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Independent | John Dickert | 2,307 | 23.09% | ||
| Independent | Robert Turner | 1,671 | 16.73% | ||
| Independent | Kimberly Plache | 1,313 | 13.14% | ||
| Independent | James Spangenberg | 1,249 | 12.50% | ||
| Independent | Greg Helding | 1,150 | 11.51% | ||
| Independent | Pete Karas | 851 | 8.52% | ||
| Independent | Jody Harding | 658 | 6.59% | ||
| Independent | Q.A. Shakoor II | 414 | 4.14% | ||
| Independent | Lesia Hill-Driver | 161 | 1.61% | ||
| Independent | Raymond Fay | 148 | 1.48% | ||
| Independent | Jaimie Charon | 69 | 0.69% | ||
| Total votes | '9,991' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Independent | John Dickert | 6,027 | 55.46% | ||
| Independent | Robert Turner | 4,841 | 44.54% | ||
| Total votes | '10,868' | '100.0%' | |||
Wisconsin Assembly (2010)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 1,777 | 77.67% | ||
| Democratic | James R. DeMatthew | 504 | 22.03% | ||
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 7 | 0.31% | ||
| Total votes | '2,288' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Robert Turner (incumbent) | 10,026 | 81.96% | -5.75% | |
| Libertarian | George Meyers | 2,167 | 17.71% | +5.62% | |
| Total votes | '12,233' | '100.0%' | -34.04% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- Stephanie Jones (2012-03-28). "State Rep. Turner not seeking re-election". Racine Journal Times. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. 26 November 1990.
- Rob Golub (2004-04-20). "Turner leaves Racine city government after 28 years". Racine Journal Times. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Biographies and photos". State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 61. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- "Newsmakers: Exit Interview with Representative Robert Turner (D-Racine)". WisconsinEye. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- Leary, Patrick (2017-05-28). "A wave of change: Recounting Becker's fall from grace". Racine Journal Times. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Brien, Stephanie (2009-04-07). "Dickert or Turner to be Racine's next mayor". Racine Journal Times. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Christina Lieffring (2018-12-06). "Bob Turner joins Police and Fire Commission". Racine Journal Times. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1985-1986 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 908. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1991-1992 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 900, 916. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1993-1994 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 905, 922. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1995-1996 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 904, 922. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1997-1998 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 900, 904. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 880, 883. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2001-2002 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 927, 930. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 920, 923. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections". State of Wisconsin 2005-2006 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 926, 929. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections". State of Wisconsin 2007-2008 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 919, 922. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections". State of Wisconsin 2009-2010 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 921, 924. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections". State of Wisconsin 2011-2012 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 905, 908. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
External links
- Representative Robert L. Turner official government website
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Follow the Money - Robert L. Turner
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