Kentucky State Senator Johnnie L. Turner, 76, has passed away due to complications from a lawn mower incident.
A Harlan County native, he served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969 and later practiced law after attending Union College and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Turner was a school board attorney and served in the Kentucky House from 1999 to 2002 before being elected to the Senate in 2021, representing Senate District 29 that included Letcher, Bell, Harlan, Floyd and Knott Counties.
He was involved in various committees and recently advocated for the coal industry.
Turner had won the May 2024 primary and was set to run unopposed in the upcoming election.