Johnnie Turner: Kentucky lawmaker dies weeks after crashing mower into empty swimming pool

Frankfort, Kentucky
AP
—

Kentucky state Sen. Johnnie Turner, known for his unwavering support of the coal industry and other causes in his Appalachian district, has died after injuring himself at home last month while aboard a lawnmower in an empty swimming pool collapsed. He was 76.

Turner, a Republican from Harlan, was known for his folksy manner, which endeared him to voters and colleagues alike. Turner died Tuesday evening after his “hard battle” from injuries he sustained in the accident, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said in a statement Wednesday.

“Johnnie has spent his life empowering others – whether through his service in the U.S. Army, as a member of the state House of Representatives and Senate, or in his private law practice,” Stivers said. “His unwavering commitment to the people of Eastern Kentucky – his constituents, brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he so lovingly called 'his people' – was at the heart of everything he did.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell recalled meeting Turner while he was in his home state surveying damage from floods that inundated parts of eastern Kentucky.

“Johnnie was on the scene, ankle-deep in mud, his equipment from home in tow, ready to help the people of Letcher County,” McConnell said in a statement Wednesday. “That’s exactly what he was: a good man who loved the mountains and their people.”

Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer said Turner's death was heartbreaking.

“He was just an amazing mountain man who was kind and generous and open-minded about supporting initiatives that were good for the entire state while also being a passionate advocate for his region,” Thayer said Wednesday in a press release interview.

Turner pushed for pro-coal legislation and other measures to improve his Appalachian district, which includes several counties in eastern Kentucky. Employment in the coal industry, once the backbone of Eastern Kentucky's economy, has declined sharply over the past decade as cheaper natural gas prices and stricter environmental regulations prompted electric utilities to move away from buying coal.

But Turner looked far beyond his district for measures that would benefit the rest of the Bluegrass State, Thayer said, pointing to Turner's support for a high-risk horse racing bill a few years ago. This measure secured the legal status of betting on historic slot-style racing machines, a lucrative source of revenue for racetracks. It was a difficult election for Turner, who represented a socially conservative district.

“He told me that he saw what happened to the coal industry in Eastern Kentucky and he didn’t want the same thing to happen to another leading industry – in this case the horse industry,” Thayer said. “I really appreciate his courage on this.”

Turner served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. House Speaker David Osborne said Wednesday that Turner is an “ardent advocate and passionate advocate for Eastern Kentucky.”

“We are saddened by his loss, but know that his legacy will live on among those he helped,” Osborne said.

Turner, a lawyer, won election to the state Senate in 2020, ousting a Democratic incumbent with the same last name. Turner defeated two challengers in the spring Republican primary this year.

Because his death is so close to the election, Turner's name will appear on the general election ballot, the secretary of state said. His only challenger in November, an independent candidate, recently withdrew from the race. Write-in candidates have until Friday to run for the seat, otherwise a special election will be required to fill the seat, the secretary of state's office said.

The GOP-dominated Kentucky Legislature will begin its 2025 session in January. Until then, lawmakers will meet in interim committees to consider a range of issues and prepare for next year's 30-day session.