Shirley K. Turner
New Jersey State Senator - 15th Legislative District
| About Senator Turner ... |
Senator Turner is serving her third term in the New Jersey Senate. She previously served two terms in the
Assembly, in 1993 and 1995. She is a former Mercer County Freeholder and Freeholder vice president.
Senator Turner serves as Senate President Pro Tempore, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and
as a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. She also serves on the Task Force on
Child Abuse and Neglect, the State Council for Adult Literacy Education Services, the Cancer Institute of
New Jersey Leadership Council, and the State Museum Board of Trustees.
Assembly, in 1993 and 1995. She is a former Mercer County Freeholder and Freeholder vice president.
Senator Turner serves as Senate President Pro Tempore, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and
as a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. She also serves on the Task Force on
Child Abuse and Neglect, the State Council for Adult Literacy Education Services, the Cancer Institute of
New Jersey Leadership Council, and the State Museum Board of Trustees.
Since the enactment of the current State
Constitution, Senator Turner is the second
African-American woman elected to the
State Senate. Through her legislative
efforts, she has established laws to provide
MicroCredit Business loans for women and
mandate insurance company coverage of
minimum hospital stays for mastectomies
and child birth. She spearheaded New
Jersey’s identity theft protection laws and
was the prime sponsor of legislation to
protect consumers from telemarketing calls.
She received national acclaim for her
efforts to prevent publicly-funded jobs from
being outsourced to foreign countries. She
has also worked to create increased
opportunities for affordable housing and
home ownership.
Constitution, Senator Turner is the second
African-American woman elected to the
State Senate. Through her legislative
efforts, she has established laws to provide
MicroCredit Business loans for women and
mandate insurance company coverage of
minimum hospital stays for mastectomies
and child birth. She spearheaded New
Jersey’s identity theft protection laws and
was the prime sponsor of legislation to
protect consumers from telemarketing calls.
She received national acclaim for her
efforts to prevent publicly-funded jobs from
being outsourced to foreign countries. She
has also worked to create increased
opportunities for affordable housing and
home ownership.
As a career educator, Senator Turner has been a strong supporter of educational issues. Her legislation
has improved the quality of education for all children and makes higher education opportunities
accessible to all residents. Under her leadership, the Legislature passed the School District Fiscal
Accountability Act. Additionally, Senator Turner has been a leader in the legislature in the fight for civil
rights, being the first to speak out against racial profiling. She helped to eliminate racial profiling and
strengthened the relationship between law enforcement and our communities.
Senator Turner has been in the forefront of legislation to abolish the death penalty. She is the prime
sponsor of legislation to reduce gun and gang crimes and violence by increasing education and job
opportunities for youth, creating support networks, and zero tolerance for illegal weapons and ammunition
sales and transfers. She helped to create drug court programs statewide for first-time, non-violent
offenders. As the prime sponsor of clean elections legislation, she has been active in her support for ethics
and election reforms, and her voting record consistently reflects her efforts to reduce patronage and
wasteful government spending. She is fighting to help reform New Jersey’s regressive property tax system.
Senator Turner is Associate Director of the Office of Career Services at Rider University in Lawrence, NJ, a
post she has held since 1970. She received a B.S. in education from The College of New Jersey and a M.
A. in guidance and counseling from Rider University and doctoral credits in education at Rutgers
University. Senator Turner and her husband Donald have two children, daughter, Jacqueline and son-in-
law Gregory Brewer and son, Chet and daughter-in-law Tonia Turner. They have five grandchildren:
DeRon, Briana, Bryson, Faith, and Chandler.
has improved the quality of education for all children and makes higher education opportunities
accessible to all residents. Under her leadership, the Legislature passed the School District Fiscal
Accountability Act. Additionally, Senator Turner has been a leader in the legislature in the fight for civil
rights, being the first to speak out against racial profiling. She helped to eliminate racial profiling and
strengthened the relationship between law enforcement and our communities.
Senator Turner has been in the forefront of legislation to abolish the death penalty. She is the prime
sponsor of legislation to reduce gun and gang crimes and violence by increasing education and job
opportunities for youth, creating support networks, and zero tolerance for illegal weapons and ammunition
sales and transfers. She helped to create drug court programs statewide for first-time, non-violent
offenders. As the prime sponsor of clean elections legislation, she has been active in her support for ethics
and election reforms, and her voting record consistently reflects her efforts to reduce patronage and
wasteful government spending. She is fighting to help reform New Jersey’s regressive property tax system.
Senator Turner is Associate Director of the Office of Career Services at Rider University in Lawrence, NJ, a
post she has held since 1970. She received a B.S. in education from The College of New Jersey and a M.
A. in guidance and counseling from Rider University and doctoral credits in education at Rutgers
University. Senator Turner and her husband Donald have two children, daughter, Jacqueline and son-in-
law Gregory Brewer and son, Chet and daughter-in-law Tonia Turner. They have five grandchildren:
DeRon, Briana, Bryson, Faith, and Chandler.
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2007, PAID FOR BY THE ELECTION FUND OF SHIRLEY K. TURNER
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