Who is Sylvester Turner? | Sylvester Turner Biography | Sylvester Turner Bio
Sylvester Turner is an American attorney and politician and is the 62nd mayor of Houston, Texas. He is a member of the Democratic Party, Turner was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 until 2016. He attended the University of Houston and Harvard Law School.
Sylvester Turner ran for mayor of Houston in 1991, losing in the runoff election to Bob Lanier. He lost again in 2003, coming in third and thus missing the runoff. Turner won the 2015 election, defeating Bill King in the runoff by 4,082 votes out of 212,696 votes cast in the closest mayoral election in Houston history by percentage. Turner was able to win this election due to the backing and support of the Houston Fire Department.
10 Quick Facts About Sylvester Turner
- Name: Sylvester Turner
- Age: 68 years as of 2022
- Birthday: September 27, 1954
- Zodiac Sign: Not Available
- Height: Average
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Journalist
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: $236,189 dollars per year
- Net worth: $10 million dollars as of 2019
Sylvester Turner Age| Sylvester Turner Birthday
Sylvester Turner is a 68-year-old attorney and politician born on September 27, 1954, in Houston, TX United States. Sylvester Turner was born in Houston, Texas, as the sixth of nine children, and was raised in the Acres Homes community in northwest Houston.
Sylvester Turner Education
Sylvester Turner attended Klein High School in 1973 at Klein High he served as a senior class president and valedictorian. Sylvester later joined Harvard Law School in 1980. He joined the University of Houston where he was a Speaker of the Student Senate and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree in political science. Turner was a finalist in the Ames Moot Court Competition while obtaining a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Sylvester Turner Family
Sylvester Turner was born in Houston, Texas, as the sixth of nine children, and was raised in the Acres Homes community in northwest Houston to his father, a commercial painter, and his mother, a maid at the Rice Hotel.
Sylvester Turner Siblings
Sylvester Turner has ten siblings with whom he was raised with. Turner has four sisters namely Madie Thompson, Jacqueline Turner, Patricia Ann Dinnon and Pearlie Marie Tyrone. He has five brothers Robert Turner, Clifford Turner, Alfred Turner, Leon Turner, Everett Turner, and Donald Ray Turner.
Sylvester Turner Wife
Sylvester Turner was married to Cheryl Turner from 1983 to 1991, and they have one daughter, Ashley Paige Turner. Sylvester and his wife have a daughter known as Ashley Paige Turner.
Sylvester Turner Law practice
Sylvester Turner joined the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski. In 1983, he founded his own firm, Barnes & Turner. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and as a seminar lecturer at the South Texas College of Law and the University of Houston Law School’s Continuing Legal Education Programs.
Turner was admitted to practice in the State of Texas, federal District Court for the Southern District Court of Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Houston Lawyers Association, and the Houston Bar Association. Turner served as an immigration lawyer for many years in Houston.
Sylvester Turner Net Worth | Sylvester Turner Salary
Sylvester Turner is an American attorney and politician who has an estimated net w0rth of $10 million dollars as of 2019. Sylvester Turner earns an admirable salary of $236,189 dollars.
Sylvester Turner Political career
In 1984, Turner ran for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 1 in the Democratic primary, but lost to El Franco Lee. Four years later, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in House District 139 in Harris County and remained in office through 2014.
During that time, Turner ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Houston in 1991 and 2003. During his 1991 campaign for Houston mayor, Wayne Dolcefino of Channel 13 ran an investigative report questioning Turner’s involvement in an elaborate insurance fraud scam.
The resulting scandal ultimately cost Turner the election. Turner sued Dolcefino and KTRK and was initially awarded a $5.5 million libel settlement that was reduced to $3.25 million by the presiding judge.
KTRK appealed the ruling, which was overturned on December 30, 1998, by the 14th Court of Appeals, which noted that no matter what impression the story left with viewers, in Texas a person cannot be libeled by implications.
They noted that Dolcefino had posed most references to Turner in the form of questions rather than charges. The three-judge panel reversed the verdict and ordered the case thrown out, ruling that the broadcasts were essentially true.
Turner served more than 25 years in the Texas House of Representatives, and over the course of his service, he served as a member of the Legislative Budget Board, Vice-Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Subcommittee of Articles 1, 4 & 5 (General Government, Judiciary, Public Safety & Criminal Justice) and the House State Affairs Committee.
He also chaired the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the Greater Houston Area Legislative Delegation. Turner has supported policies to attract doctors to underserved areas, proposed a measure increasing state funding for mental health services in Harris County from $32 million to $200 million, and worked to increase funds for legal aid for poor Texans
Sylvester Turner for Mayor
Sylvester Turner is working to lift every voice in Houston so we can continue to do great things for our city. Under his thoughtful, determined leadership, we showed the world our resilience, grit, and grace during the depths of Hurricane Harvey and the continuing recovery.
Sylvester Turner Hurricane Harvey
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Turner has received criticism for his decision not to suggest any form of evacuation. He has responded to the criticism by pointing out the logistics of evacuating “6.5 million” people and the deaths and traffic that occurred during the 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation.
Critics have replied stating that 6.5 million people did not have to be evacuated but instead tens of thousands could have been evacuated who were in flood zones or individuals who were most at risk during emergencies could have been evacuated.
Sylvester Turner Uber
In 2016, Sylvester Turner voiced his support for laws regulating Uber and other ridesharing services to protect public safety.
Sylvester Turner LGBT rights
In 2015, Sylvester Turner was named one of the top 10 best members of the Texas House on LGBT issues by Equality Texas with an “A+” rating, after Turner said he had “evolved” on LGBT issues.
Sylvester Turner, run against Bill King in the 2015 Houston mayoral runoff election, stated he is “100 percent” committed to reenacting Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and attacked Bill King for saying he won’t revisit the issue of HERO, along with his support from the Campaign for Houston.
Sylvester Turner Office
serves as the Executive Officer of the City. As the City’s chief administrator and official representative, the Mayor is responsible for the general management of the City and for seeing that all laws and ordinances are enforced. Administrative duties include the appointments, with Council approval, of department heads and persons serving on advisory boards.
As Executive Officer, the Mayor administers oaths and signs all motions, resolutions, and ordinances passed by City Council. The Mayor also serves a legislative function, presiding over City Council with voting privileges. The Mayor is responsible for advising the Council of the City’s financial condition and presents to Council an annual budget for approval.
Sylvester Turner Contacts and Phone Number
City of Houston
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251
Phone: 311 or 713.837.0311
Email: mayor@houstontx.gov, or to request an appearance: www.houstontx.gov/myrscheduling
Sylvester Turner 2016 Inauguration Speech
Sylvester Turner Inauguration was held on January 4, 2016, with the Bible that he held 26 years ago when he was sworn in to represent his district in the House of Representatives in 1989. My mom was part of the celebration and sat next to me on the floor of the Texas House, and although she is not with us today, she is with me in spirit and always will be.
My father, who worked at Continental Emsco for 31 years, was a yardman and died when I was 13. My mom became the CEO of the Turner household. With no high school education, working as a maid at the Rice Hotel a few blocks away, never learning how to drive, she raised nine sons and daughters.
She saw to it that they were educated, and when times were rough, she told us that tomorrow would be better than today. Today, it is evident that what my mom said is very true. Today, I am honored to have been sworn in with the City Controller, Chris Brown, and 16 Council Members, all chosen to represent the City of Houston.
We may have started at different points in life, time, place, race and religion. Some were born here and some got here as soon as they could, but we all have one common goal this morning and that is to make Houston the best place on this planet. Houstonians deserve a safe, viable infrastructure.
And I want to announce today that two weeks from today, the potholes that are properly reported to the City’s 3-1-1 Help and information line will be assessed and addressed by the next business day. Our goal is to effectively, efficiently and safely repair each reported pothole within a 24-hour period.
For those potholes where safety and infrastructure will require additional time, the Public Works Director will provide a priority report that I will personally monitor and will share with the members of City Council. We will look for ways we can partner with the County, especially in this area.
Better streets and transportation infrastructure will benefit both city and county taxpayers. I am confident that when we work together on the city and county level, we can address other issues, including our maintenance needs, to the advantage of both governments and all citizens.
I have also asked the finance director to provide recommendations for better managing our department budgets and expenditures. I will issue an executive order based on those recommendations and specifics for implementing them. That order will require objective outcomes, transparency and the elimination of waste and inefficient expenditures.
Sylvester Turner Consumer protections
In 1999, Turner voted to restructure the electric utility industry in Texas to allow customers competition and consumer choice. During his time in the legislature, he has also worked to continue to protect Texans, voting for bills preventing gas companies from cutting off service during freezing temperatures, limiting the amount utility companies could raise rates in order to fund certain projects, such as building electric poles and wires, without first getting approval from state regulators, and authoring legislation that required the Public Utility Commission to conduct cost-benefit analyses of any proposals from utility companies that would add more than $100 million to annual consumer electricity costs.
During the 84th session, Turner authored legislation that would prohibit electricity companies from charging customers “minimum usage fees” when they used too little electricity. Turner also voted to allow the Public Utility Commission to issue emergency cease-and-desist orders, without first going to a court, to companies whose actions threaten the state’s electricity supply.
During the 83rd session, he joined a campaign to encourage low-income Texans to enroll in “LITE-UP Texas”, a program “authorized by the Texas Legislature through which participants could reduce the monthly cost of electric service by 82%.”
In the 84th session, he authored a bill to extend this discount program for another two years, until the end of 2017. He also co-authored a bill to help ensure persons living in multi-family residences are alerted when their electricity bill has not been paid.
Sylvester Turner and Dwight Boykins
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — We’ve seen Houston City Council member Dwight Boykins helping seniors in District D by cutting their grass, even picking up trash on the side of the road.
I bet you’ve never seen him with dirty jeans, boots and a shotgun, tending to his 12-acre ranch. “My brother would call this ‘Serenity.’ My brother Rodney named it when we built this place,” Boykins said. The Boykins’ ranch sits one hour outside Houston, nestled deep in the backwoods of Conroe.
And when he’s here, he’s Cowboy Boykins. “I’ll wear Wranglers every weekend. I love country music. I love trail rides,” Boykins said, as he saddles his horse. We need a new HPD chief ‘who spends less time looking for Hollywood cameras’: Boykins “She’s about 17 years old,” he added.
She’s Boykin’s pride and joy. “She is a wonderful horse. She eats a lot. I’ve had her for about 12 years.” But he doesn’t take his horse to the old town road, he likes to cruise in his baby, a ’53 Chevrolet. But his main baby? Mrs. Genora, his wife of 30 years.
“Can I talk about the peach in my cobbler here? Yeah. She’s the turkey necks in my collards,” Boykins said. “You know, the funny thing is I actually saw him at a nightclub from a distance, and I said, ‘Oh, that’s a nice looking gentleman over there.’
I was with some girlfriends,” she said. They’re longtime members of Windsor Village Church. Genora says serving people is a family affair, and at the center of the family is their faith. “But the thing to me about faith is you have to live it,” Genora added. Boykins tells me he’s relied on his faith, even in the early days of his career.
Sylvester Turner Public education
In 2004, he voted against a measure that would have scaled “back benefits for future public school employees and discourag[ed] early retirement.” He was also critical of investment managers for the Teachers Retirement Fund for taking over $8.2 million in bonuses while the state was slashing funding for education and the system’s investments continued to struggle.
In 2011, Turner voted against a measure that would have implemented a 6 percent cut to education funding for all schools in Texas, a move that equated to a $4 billion education funding cut.
Turner as a member of the legislature, Turner voted against a measure that would allow school districts to lower their salaries, implement furlough days, and increase student-teacher classroom ratios. He also opposed a corporate tax break that many legislators, in the Texas House of Representatives, believed would hurt public school funding.
Sylvester Turner Immigration
Texas has banned sanctuary cities, but Mayor Turner said that Houston will not assist ICE agents with immigration raids.
Sylvester Turner Hurricane Harvey
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Turner has received criticism for his decision not to suggest any form of evacuation. He has responded to the criticism by pointing out the logistics of evacuating “6.5 million” people and the deaths and traffic that occurred during the 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation.
Critics have replied stating that 6.5 million people did not have to be evacuated but instead tens of thousands could have been evacuated who were in flood zones or individuals who were most at risk during emergencies could have been evacuated.
Sylvester Turner Health care
A supporter of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), Turner voted against joining the Interstate Health Care Compact, an alternative to traditional ACA participation, and introduced legislation that would expand Medicaid in Texas pursuant to the ACA.
Turner warned fellow legislators about the potential backlash from constituents if the state chose not to expand Medicaid, which promised a significant return on the state’s investment. One of his major accomplishments in the House was legislation that expanded access to the children’s health insurance program, which was passed in 2007.
Turner also passed legislation in 2015 that will free up funding for medical trauma care centers, which have not received the full amount of funds designated to be spent specifically on trauma centers. The legislation will bring $25 million to the Greater Houston area over the next two years, including $11 million to Ben Taub and $10 million to the Memorial Hermann.
During the 84th Legislature, Turner introduced legislation that would provide care under Medicaid for people with severe and persistent mental illness and who are transitioning from an institution to the community, and who are at risk of institutionalization or re-institutionalization.
Sylvester Turner has long been an advocate for a woman’s right to choose. He voted against a measure requiring doctors to perform a sonogram on women seeking an abortion at least 24 hours before the procedures. He has also fought to protect funding for family planning programs and Planned Parenthood.
Turner also voted against a Senate version of a measure that banned abortions after 20 weeks and tightened standards on abortion clinics, and also authored an amendment to the bill that would have required the state to pay the costs abortion clinics would incur on the measure to retrofit facilities so they could be certified as surgical centers. In 2013, the El Paso Times described Turner as a “lion of pro-abortion rights.”
Sylvester Turner Criminal justice
Sylvester Turner opposed measures to limit lawsuits against gun or ammunition manufacturers, allowing concealed handguns on higher education campuses, and rescinding the authority of local governments to ban concealed weapons on public property.
He also opposed measures that would reduce the number of training hours required to receive a concealed handgun license. Turner supported a bill that prohibited the use of state funds for the enforcement of federal firearms regulations. He also advocated abandoning the “pick-a-pal system”, where judges appoint commissioners who then can pick whoever they want to serve on grand juries.
Sylvester Turner Twitter
Sylvester Turner Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B3LLnJkAVO6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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