Kentucky lawmaker dies weeks after plunging into an empty swimming pool on a mower

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky state Sen. Johnnie Turner, known for his staunch support for the coal industry and other causes in his Appalachian district, has died after being injured at home last month when he plunged into an empty swimming pool while aboard a lawn mower. He was 76.

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

“Johnnie spent his life lifting others — whether through his service in the U.S. Army, as a member of the State House of Representatives and State Senate, or in his private legal practice,” Stivers said. “His unwavering commitment to the people of eastern Kentucky — his constituents, brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he so fondly referred to as ‘his people’ — was at the heart of everything he did.”

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell recalled crossing paths with Turner while back in his home state to survey damage from flooding that swamped parts of eastern Kentucky.

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

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

“He was just an amazing man of the mountains, who is kind and generous and open-minded about supporting initiatives that were good for the entire state, while at the same time being a fierce advocate for his region,” Thayer said Wednesday in an interview.

Turner pushed for pro-coal legislation and other measures aimed at uplifting his Appalachian district, spanning several counties in eastern Kentucky. Coal employment, once the backbone of the eastern Kentucky economy, fell sharply over the last decade as cheaper natural gas prices and tougher environmental regulations prompted electric providers to move away from buying coal.

But Turner looked well beyond his district to back measures benefiting the rest of the Bluegrass State, Thayer said, pointing to Turner’s support for a high-stakes horse racing bill a few years ago. That measure secured the legal status of wagering on slots-style historical racing machines, a lucrative revenue source for racetracks. It was a tough vote 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 to see another leading industry — in this case the horse industry — have the same thing happen to it,” Thayer said. “I really appreciate his courage on that.”

Turner served in the Kentucky House from 1999 to 2002. House Speaker David Osborne said Wednesday that Turner was an “ardent champion and passionate voice for eastern Kentucky.”

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

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

With his death coming so close to the election, Turner’s name will appear on the general election ballot, the secretary of state’s office said. His lone November challenger, an independent candidate, recently withdrew from the race. Write-in candidates have until Friday to file for the seat, but otherwise a special election will be needed to fill the seat, the secretary of state’s office said.

Kentucky’s GOP-dominated legislature will begin its 2025 session in January. Until then, lawmakers are meeting in interim committees to study a range of issues in preparation for next year’s 30-day session.