On Tuesday evening, October 22, 2024, Johnnie Turner, a 76-year-old Kentucky State Senator, passed away following an accident involving a riding lawn mower at his home in Baxter, Kentucky. The incident resulted in Turner falling into an empty swimming pool.
The accident occurred on September 15 when Turner’s lawn mower toppled into the deep end of his pool. He was first rushed to a local hospital, and later airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. He remained there until his death, which officials described as the end of a “hard-fought battle.”
Turner, a Republican, was the representative for District 29 in eastern Kentucky, which covers Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher counties. He had been serving in the Kentucky Senate since 2021, having defeated a Democratic incumbent in the 2020 election. Prior to this, he was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002.
Before entering politics, Turner served as a U.S. Army medic from 1967 to 1969. He later established a successful law practice in the region. Turner was an active member of several professional organizations including the American Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and Harlan County Bar Association. He also served as an instructor for Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons training with the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
Turner was known for his down-to-earth nature, earning the affection of both constituents and fellow legislators. He was a strong supporter of the coal industry in his Appalachian district. He often criticized government regulations he felt were stunting the industry’s growth, while simultaneously striving to bolster Kentucky’s economy through horse racing initiatives.
“On the scene, ankle-deep in mud, his equipment from home in tow, ready to help folks in Letcher County,” recalled Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, describing Turner’s assistance during a severe flood in the region.
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers commended Turner’s character and resilience, describing his “remarkable resolve and strength filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss difficult to bear.”
The unexpected timing of Turner’s death led to an unusual election scenario. Having won his party’s primary, he was running unopposed in the November election after his independent competitor withdrew. His name still appeared on the general election ballot as early voting began in Kentucky. Residents were able to declare their intention to run as write-in candidates until October 25 at 4 p.m.
Scott Madon, mayor of Pineville, Kentucky, won the race in a historic write-in campaign, securing 6,825 votes and 35.2% of the total ballots cast across the five-county district.
Madon emerged victorious from a field of 11 write-in candidates following the death of Senator Turner and the withdrawal of Independent candidate David Suhr. Willie Crase finished second with 2,892 votes (15%), followed by James Tyler Ward with 2,006 votes.
“I want to build on Turner’s previous work and focus on job creation and tourism/adventure tourism in the five-county district,” Madon said after his unofficial victory. Madon, who currently oversees an $8 million downtown revitalization project in Pineville, Kentucky, will not take office until January 2025. He plans to resign as mayor in the final days of 2024, leaving the Pineville City Council to select his successor.
