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Jim Turner (politician)
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Turner American
politician
, was the Democratic
representative for the Texas
2nd congressional district
in the U.S. House of Representatives
from 1997 until 2005.
. He received a bachelor's degree in business, and simultaneously earned an MBA
and a J.D.
, all from the University of Texas at Austin
. Following graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army, serving 8 years (active and reserve), attaining the rank of Captain. His legal career in Texas included his own law practice in his hometown of Crockett and his partnership in the Austin office of Hughes & Luce LLP.
from 1981 to 1984, mayor of Crockett, Texas
from 1989 to 1991, and a member of the Texas Senate
from 1991 to 1996. He succeeded Kent Caperton
of Bryan
in the Senate. Caperton did not seek reelection in 1990, and Turner defeated the Republican
Lou Zaeske
, also of Bryan, head of the Texas English-only movement
. For two years, Turner was an Executive Assistant to Texas Governor Mark Wells White.
's Communist government, decided not to run for a thirteenth term, Turner won the Democratic nomination to succeed him and was handily elected in November 1996. He was reelected three times with no substantive opposition. Congressman Turner was a member of the Armed Services Committee
, and was the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security
. A fiscally conservative Democrat, Turner co-chaired the Blue Dog Coalition and was a member of the New Democrat Coalition
.
In 2003, Turner was one of the targets of a highly controversial redistricting
engineered by Tom DeLay
. The Texas Legislature
dismantled his district, which covered a large portion of East Texas
stretching from Lufkin
to the suburbs of Houston, and split its territory among three districts. The largest portion was shifted to the 8th District, represented by Republican Kevin Brady
, who had been elected the same year as Turner. While Turner had represented more of the new 8th than Brady, most of the 8th's vote was cast in heavily Republican Montgomery County
, which has as many people as the rest of the district combined. His home in Crockett was thrown into the Fort Worth/Arlington
-based 6th district, an even more Republican area represented by ten-term incumbent Joe Barton
. Believing he had no realistic chance of staying in Congress, Turner decided not to run for a fifth term in 2004.
or the United States Senate
seat of Kay Bailey Hutchison
in 2006.
In 2005, Turner joined the Washington office of Arnold & Porter
, LLP where he is currently a partner in the Public Policy and Legislative Practice Group.
in Texas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, was the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
representative for the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
2nd congressional district
Texas's 2nd congressional district
Texas's 2nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas. It stretches from Houston's northern suburbs through eastern Harris County, and across Southeast Texas to the Louisiana border...
in the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1997 until 2005.
Early life, education, and early career
Turner was born in Fort Lewis, Washington, but grew up in Crockett, TexasCrockett, Texas
Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County.- History :...
. He received a bachelor's degree in business, and simultaneously earned an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
, all from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. Following graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army, serving 8 years (active and reserve), attaining the rank of Captain. His legal career in Texas included his own law practice in his hometown of Crockett and his partnership in the Austin office of Hughes & Luce LLP.
State politics
Prior to being elected to Congress, Turner held several state and local offices. He was a member of the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
from 1981 to 1984, mayor of Crockett, Texas
Crockett, Texas
Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County.- History :...
from 1989 to 1991, and a member of the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
from 1991 to 1996. He succeeded Kent Caperton
Kent Caperton
Kent Allen Caperton is an attorney and political consultant in Austin, Texas, who served from 1981 to 1991 as a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from District 5, encompassing twenty-one counties from The Woodlands, to Crockett, and Caperton's then city of residence, Bryan, Texas.-Early...
of Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
in the Senate. Caperton did not seek reelection in 1990, and Turner defeated the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Lou Zaeske
Lou Zaeske
Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr. , was a mechanical engineer and a political activist in Bryan, Texas. In 1988, he founded the interest group, the American Ethnic Coalition, which lobbied for English as the official language of the United States.-Early years:Zaeske was born at Randolph Air Force Base,...
, also of Bryan, head of the Texas English-only movement
English-only movement
English-only movement, also known as Official English movement, refers to a political movement for the use only of the English language in official government operations through the establishing of English as the only official language in the United States...
. For two years, Turner was an Executive Assistant to Texas Governor Mark Wells White.
U.S. House of Representatives
After 2nd district congressman Charlie Wilson, who was known for his role in funding the resistance to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
's Communist government, decided not to run for a thirteenth term, Turner won the Democratic nomination to succeed him and was handily elected in November 1996. He was reelected three times with no substantive opposition. Congressman Turner was a member of the Armed Services Committee
United States House Committee on Armed Services
thumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
, and was the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security
United States House Committee on Homeland Security
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...
. A fiscally conservative Democrat, Turner co-chaired the Blue Dog Coalition and was a member of the New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as moderate and pro-growth. A July 2009 Press release described the organization as "the largest moderate coalition in the U.S...
.
In 2003, Turner was one of the targets of a highly controversial redistricting
2003 Texas redistricting
The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan appealed to the United States Supreme Court in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry...
engineered by Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
. The Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
dismantled his district, which covered a large portion of East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
stretching from Lufkin
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...
to the suburbs of Houston, and split its territory among three districts. The largest portion was shifted to the 8th District, represented by Republican Kevin Brady
Kevin Brady
Kevin Patrick Brady is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes a large swath of suburban and rural territory around Houston and Beaumont....
, who had been elected the same year as Turner. While Turner had represented more of the new 8th than Brady, most of the 8th's vote was cast in heavily Republican Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
, which has as many people as the rest of the district combined. His home in Crockett was thrown into the Fort Worth/Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
-based 6th district, an even more Republican area represented by ten-term incumbent Joe Barton
Joe Barton
Joseph Linus "Joe" Barton is a Republican politician, representing in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
. Believing he had no realistic chance of staying in Congress, Turner decided not to run for a fifth term in 2004.
Post-political career
He was briefly mentioned as a candidate for governor of TexasGovernor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
or the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat of Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
in 2006.
In 2005, Turner joined the Washington office of Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter LLP is a nine-office international law firm based in Washington, D.C. Arnold & Porter is well known for its trial, corporate, and antitrust work, and for its pro bono commitments and support for liberal causes.-History:...
, LLP where he is currently a partner in the Public Policy and Legislative Practice Group.
Personal life
He and his wife, Ginny, were married in 1970. They have two children, John Turner and Susan Turner Nold, who are both attorneysLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Texas.