Biography (continued)
Mike attended Dayton Public Schools and graduated from Belmont High School in 1978. He continued his education with a 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 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 Mike’s eight years as mayor he focused on economic development, neighborhood revitalization, crime reduction and job creation. His successful private-public partnership to rehabilitate neglected housing in Dayton’s historic neighborhoods became known as Rehabarama. It had significant economic impact on the region and received awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After two decades of decline, downtown Dayton also experienced a renaissance during Mike’s tenure as mayor. New projects included the $130 million Schuster Performing Arts Center, Fifth-Third Field (home of the minor league baseball Dragons), riverfront development, and the beginning of the redevelopment of the abandoned DELCO/Frigidaire factory site into Tech Town.
The quality of life in Dayton improved significantly during Mike’s eight years as mayor. In addition to his efforts to revitalize Dayton’s neighborhoods and downtown, Mike worked to add 54 additional police officers to patrol Dayton’s streets, resulting in a dramatic reduction in police response time. Always a proponent of strong neighborhoods and family values, Mike successfully fought for the closing of two adult theaters in residential neighborhoods.
Prior to Mike’s tenure as mayor, Dayton’s budget had not been balanced for five years. As mayor, he submitted eight consecutive balanced budgets while investing in economic development, neighborhoods, and downtown.
During his term as mayor, the Dayton Peace Accords ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mike pursued international trade opportunities and cultural exchange programs by developing Sister City partnerships with Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Zagreb, Croatia; and Holon, Israel.
In 2002 Mike won the Republican nomination to run for the open Third Congressional District seat. He won the general election with nearly 60% of the vote. He was reelected in 2004 by an even wider margin.
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 during the recent BRAC process. In addition, Mike Turner has helped benefit Wright-Patterson by seeking funding for important projects and missions at the base.
Mike was also appointed to the Government Reform Committee where he is now Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census. This important subcommittee played a key role in the recent fight to keep the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) a vital source of funding for cities and towns. The subcommittee has also done work on public housing, historic preservation, brownfield redevelopment, and the census. He also serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Since becoming a Congressman, Mike has continued his efforts to make America’s cities stronger. House Speaker Dennis Hastert recognized Mike’s urban expertise by naming him Chairman of a new working group called “Saving America’s Cities.” The working group focuses on economic development issues that will encourage private sector investment in cities. The working group looks at federal legislation concerning market rate and public housing, brownfields, historic preservation, and federal rules and regulations. A blue ribbon bi-partisan advisory committee advises the Republican working group.
Mike Turner has made job creation one of his primary focuses. Not only was he instrumental in saving and even adding jobs at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, 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 consistently to lower taxes, which boosts the economy and adds jobs. He secured $1 million to support a feasibility study for hosting an international air and trade show in Dayton.
Supporting local businesses has also been an important part of Mike’s work in Washington. When the future of the Candle-lite Company, in Leesburg, Ohio was threatened by unfair competition from cheap Chinese imports, Mike worked with the National Candle Association to obtain a favorable ruling by the Department of Justice and higher tariffs. Now Candle-lite can compete fairly.
When DHL/ABX Inc announced that they would be consolidating their Wilmington Airpark and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport hub operations, Mike took the lead in Washington to protect over 6,000 jobs, mainly in Clinton County. By working with DHL/ABX, local officials, the Governor’s office, and the Ohio Congressional Delegation, Mike helped prevent the area’s largest employer from relocating.
Mike Turner’s advocacy for the region has brought millions of federal dollars to support economic development projects in Montgomery, Clinton, Warren and Highland counties.
Mike Turner: Keep visionary and experienced leadership.
