Mike Turner (R-OH-10)i

Mike Turner Congressman Ohio District 3

Michael R. “Mike” Turner

Congressman Turner is incumbent in the 2002 – 2010 Ohio Congressional District 3. He is a candidate for re-election in the 2012 – 2020 Ohio Congressional District 10.

Mike Turner Biography from House.gov

Biography of Mike Turner

A lifelong resident of Dayton, Ohio, Congressman Mike Turner has family roots in Eastern Kentucky. His parents, Ray and Vivian, moved to Dayton in the 1950′s to take advantage of the job opportunities in the manufacturing industry. Mr. Ray Turner worked at General Motors, retiring after 42 years as a member of IUE local 801; and Mrs. Vivian Turner retired from teaching in the Huber Heights School District. A strong proponent of family values and traditional principles, Congressman Turner is a devoted son, husband and father. He and his wife Lori have two daughters, Jessica and Carolyn.

Congressman Turner attended Dayton Public Schools and graduated from Belmont High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio; an MBA from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio; and a Juris Doctorate from Case Western University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his election to Congress, Turner was in private practice and corporate law for 13 years.

Congressman Turner has a background of community activism having worked with not-for-profit groups focusing on neighborhood concerns, community development, housing code enforcement, and historical preservation. As the two-term Mayor of the City of Dayton, he was a strong proponent of neighborhood revitalization, crime reduction, increased funding for safety forces, economic development and job creation. He created Rehabarama, a private-public partnership to rehabilitate neglected housing in Dayton’s historic neighborhoods, which had significant economic impact on the region, and received national awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Also while serving as Mayor of Dayton, Congressman Turner established a development fund providing more than $19 million in grants for housing and job-producing projects. The development fund sparked investment which resulted in a renaissance of Dayton’s downtown, including a $130 million arts center, a minor league baseball stadium, river front development, loft and upscale housing, additional corporate headquarters, and redevelopment of the former Delco and Frigidaire brownfield area into an office, research, and industrial park. Under Mayor Turner’s leadership, the City of Dayton had a balanced budget for all eight years of his tenure (having not been balanced for the previous five years), added 54 police officers to the force, resulting in a nearly 40 percent reduction in police response time, and closed two adult movie theaters in residential neighborhoods, thus improving the quality of life for Dayton residents.

First elected to the 108th Congress and sworn in January of 2003, Congressman Turner was appointed to the Armed Services Committee, from which he assists Wright- Patterson Air Force Base located in Ohio’s Third District, and to the Government Reform Committee, which allows him to contribute his experience as a former mayor to government reform. Congressman Turner’s urban experience was called upon by then House Speaker Dennis Hastert who appointed him Chairman of the new Saving America’s Cities working group. The 24 Member working group was charged with developing goals and principles to help urban America by focusing on economic development issues and encouraging private sector investment in cities.

Continuing his work on urban issues, in the 109th Congress, Turner served as Chairman of the Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census. During his tenure he worked to help save the Community Development Block Grant program from being reduced in funding and combined with several other programs under the control of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In recognition of his efforts, Congressman Turner was the recipient of the American Planning Association’s 2005 Legislator of the Year Award and the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s 2005 National Legislative Leadership Award.

In the 111th Congress, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Turner was named the Ranking Member on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the nation’s nuclear arsenal, our military assets in outer space, the Department of Defense’s intelligence programs, and also over missile defense systems. Reelected to a fifth term in November of 2010, Congressman Turner now serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and as a Member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.

The Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee conducts oversight of ammunition programs, Army and Air Force acquisition programs, all Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs, and National Guard and Army and Air Force National Guard and Reserve. The subcommittee also authorizes procurement and R&D programs to ensure that America’s soldiers and airmen are fully equipped to carry out their mission. This is critical not only to our national security, but to Ohio’s economy as well.

In addition to his work on the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Turner is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he serves on the National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

In January of 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the US Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly — the inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. The Assembly provides a critical forum for international parliamentary dialogue on an array of security, political and economic matters.

Congressman Turner is also a member of several Congressional Caucuses and Taskforces where he brings insight to issues of importance to Ohio’s Third District:

CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUSES

Founder and Co-Chairman

Former Mayor’s Caucus
Historic Preservation Caucus

Co-Chairman

Real Estate Caucus
Urban Caucus
Census Caucus

Member

Air Force Caucus
Appalachian Caucus
Asthma and Allergy Caucus
Automotive Caucus
Bike Caucus
Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Composites Caucus
Cybersecurity Caucus
Economic Competitiveness Caucus
Georgian Caucus
Impact Aid Coalition
Manufacturing Caucus
Military Family Caucus
Multiple Sclerosis Caucus
Vision Caucus
UAV Caucus

Task Forces

Saving America’s Cities Working Group, Founder and Chairman
House Republican Policy Committee’s Task Force on Urban Revitalization, Chairman
Congressional Manufacturing Task Force
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force, Co-Chairman

Biography from Citizens for Turner

Mike at a Glance

1978 graduate from Belmont High School in Dayton
Received his MBA from the University of Dayton and a JD from Case Western University School of Law
Two-term Mayor of Dayton, where he spearheaded economic development projects such as Rehabarama, Fifth-Third Field, and Riverscape
Elected to Congress in 2002, representing Ohio’s Third Congressional District
Successfully advocated to protect Wright-Patterson Air Force Base during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, resulting in a net gain of 1000 jobs and additional support for the base
Married to wife, Lori, and proud parent of two daughters, Jessica and Carolyn

Mike Turner was elected to represent Ohio’s Third Congressional District in 2002 after more than a decade in public service, including two terms as mayor of Dayton. As a public servant, Mike has built a reputation as a distinguished leader and vocal advocate for his community.

Mike is a life long resident of the Dayton area. His parents, Ray and Vivian, came to Dayton from Eastern Kentucky in the 1950s, several years before Mike and his sister were born. They have been residents of Greene County for over 25 years. Mike’s father, Ray, worked at the General Motors plant in Dayton, retiring after 42 years as a member of IUE Local 801. Mike’s mother, Vivian, is a retired elementary school teacher from the Huber Heights School District. Mike and his wife Lori have been married for over 20 years and have two daughters, Jessica and Carolyn.

Mike attended Dayton Public Schools and is a 1978 graduate of Belmont High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University He also has an MBA from the University of Dayton and a JD from Case Western University School of Law.

After graduating from law school, Mike built a successful legal career as a corporate lawyer as well as in private practice. At this time he began his involvement in not-for-profit groups. In particular, Mike became interested in neighborhood concerns, housing code enforcement, and historic preservation. His strong beliefs and commitments to these and other issues caused him to run for mayor in 1993. Mike won the election over a heavily favored incumbent and became Dayton’s first Republican mayor in 25 years. He won reelection in 1997.

During his time as mayor, Mike focused on developing Dayton’s economy, revitalizing local neighborhoods, reducing crime and creating new jobs. While in office, he led important initiatives, such as the award winning Rehabarama project, which promoted the rehabilitation of abandoned and neglected housing in Dayton’s historic neighborhoods. Mike’s leadership also helped bring popular attractions like the Schuster Performing Arts Center, Riverscape, and the Dayton Dragons downtown. In addition to these accomplishments, Mike brought reform to City Hall by submitting eight consecutive balanced budgets, and made the city safer by adding needed police officers to the beat.

In 2002, Mike won the Republican nomination to run for the open Third Congressional District seat. He was victorious in the general election with nearly 60% of the vote. He was reelected in 2004, 2006, and 2008 by similar margins. In the 2010 election he received more votes than any other Congressional candidate in Ohio.

While in Congress, Mike has served on the important House Armed Services Committee (HASC). He has used his HASC seat to increase the profile of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and to help protect the important mission and almost 20,000 jobs at Wright-Patt. This experience was invaluable during the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process in 2005 when both jobs and regional development funds were at risk. Mike Turner successfully advocated to protect these valuable assets. To date, thousands of jobs have been added at Wright-Patt during his time in office.

Mike has made protecting our men and women in uniform a priority during his time in Congress. He has fought for improved health care for America’s veterans through his support of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act and other initiatives. He has also worked to protect the custodial rights of deployed military parents by sponsoring an amendment that seeks to protect the rights of military parents in custody proceedings while ensuring that the best interests of the child are met. Mike understands the sacrifices made by the men and women in our armed forces, and works hard to make sure that the government protects them before, during, and after their service.

Supporting local business has also been an important part of Mike’s work in Washington. He has voted for legislation which allows families to keep more of the money they earn, and provides tax incentives for small businesses to hire more workers. He has voted repeatedly to lower taxes, which boosts the economy and adds jobs. In addition, he has advocated for leveling the playing field for American manufacturers by co-sponsoring legislation that would lead to China devaluating their inflated currency.