Lori Turner

Lori Angela Turner (born December 23, 1956) is an American Politician serving as the 49th Governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she  served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 and in the Michigan Senate from 2011 to 2019.

Turner was born and raised in Tennessee. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and has lived in Lansing for most of her life. Before entering state politics, Turner was an educator and professor of sociology from the early 1980's until 2004. She ran for the state house in 2004, being elected with a comfortable margin. In 2011, Turner announced her intention to run for state senate, this was widely expected due to her being term-limited in the Michigan House of Representatives. She rose to particular fame in Michigan due to her being the first female leader of the Senate Democrats. During her tenure, both in the House and Senate, Lori introduced various education related bills, along with sponsoring legislation on infrastructure.

Turner was elected in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election, defeating her Republican opponent. As Governor, Turner has mainly focused on education and infrastructure, but has plans to introduce Healthcare related legislation in 2020.

Early Life and Education
Lori Turner was born on December 23, 1956, in Ashland City, Tennessee. The daughter of a high school teacher and the mayor's secretary, Turner lived a relatively quiet life. Her father was an English Teacher at Ashland High, while her mother was secretary to Mayor Daniel Anderson of Ashland City.

After graduating from Ashland High School, Turner moved to Michigan with a few friends to attend Michigan State University, where she would obtain a BA in Sociology. She would remain and also receive her MA in Sociology and Teaching

House of Representatives
Turner originally considered running in 2000 for the State House, however she was convinced to instead run in the 2004 election. She ran for the 69th legislative district and was re-elected in 2006 and 2008.

State Senate
In 2010, Turner announced her bid to the Michigan State Senate, running for the 23rd district.