{"id":2700,"date":"2023-08-18T05:45:08","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T10:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/?p=2700"},"modified":"2023-08-18T05:45:32","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T10:45:32","slug":"sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor","title":{"rendered":"Sylvester Turner, a successful attorney and\u00a0 Houston&#8217;s 62nd Mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Growing up as a child of ordinary parents, Sylvester Turner used to walk around the city center, gazing at the high-rises and fantasizing about his success. Back then, he had no idea that he would win his place in the sun in the world of law and politics. Read more about the life and professional journey of Houston&#8217;s 62nd Mayor next at&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\">houston-yes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a13b18f9df73\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a13b18f9df73\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor\/#Childhood_and_education\" >Childhood and education<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor\/#Law_Practice\" >Law Practice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor\/#Political_career\" >Political career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor\/#Major_achievements\" >Major achievements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/sylvester-turner-a-successful-attorney-and-houstons-62nd-mayor\/#Criticism\" >Criticism<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Childhood_and_education\"><\/span>Childhood and education<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sylvester Turner was born in Houston on September 27, 1954, to a hotel maid and a commercial painter. The boy was brought up with eight brothers and sisters. On the weekends, he would mow lawns with his brothers and father to help add to the family income. Already at the age of 6, Sylvester realized that he wanted to become an attorney. Turner went to Garden City Elementary School. In 1973, he graduated from Klein High School. A black young man received much support from educators in his school district. He was an active student, notably leading the student council and belonging to the chess and science clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1968, Turner&#8217;s father died of cancer. After high school, he studied political science at the University of Houston, where he earned his Bachelor&#8217;s degree. At the university, he was a member of the Black Student Union and Speaker of the Student Senate. The young man had planned to attend The University of Texas at Austin School of Law but eventually accepted an offer from Harvard Law School. In 1980, he earned his Juris Doctorate degree here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Law_Practice\"><\/span>Law Practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduating from the School of Law, Turner was hired by the Fulbright &amp; Jaworski law firm. Together with his partner Barry M. Barnes, he established Barnes &amp; Turner in 1983, specializing in corporate and commercial law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a time, Turner served as an adjunct professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at the Texas Southern University in Houston. Besides, he has taught concurrently at the South Texas College of Law and the University of Houston Law Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/08\/j8whsythvqupirtozascuya585ubidzfs2xmsh7cn-sdwtgspszh-c_69auzdaw7tcopinylqpnn5lwo5qqvghwficbuvvcp8xccof0ap61h_iw8l3grqkg615foaclqvuxiimu_nu6pegz8k9sohog.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner also spent a great deal of time as an immigration attorney. He has become a member of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, as well as a member of the Texas Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Houston Lawyers Association and the Houston Bar Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Political_career\"><\/span>Political career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner campaigned for Harris County Commissioner for the Democratic Party in 1984 but was defeated by El Franco Lee. In 1988, he won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives from District 139. The politician held this position until 2014. During his tenure, he was a member of the Legislative Budget Board, Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the Subcommittee of Articles 1, 4 and 5 and the House State Affairs Committee, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Turner chaired the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. He advocated for measures that attract physicians to low-income communities, as well as State financial support for mental health institutions in Harris County. Turner made unsuccessful runs for Mayor of Houston in 1991 and again in 2003. In 1991 he was caught up in a scandal. In particular, he was accused of being involved in insurance fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/08\/lkm5nbin-gmrixmayzmxkl7vbtxjgqq9zh2s_gpu4jcdff7ugusp1rx6rsfwvftrfbdcllxrah1nr76j35a66wf6ugydgwqoguat-eame6fg2niweqxfxfh4ziftw9be6-ruec-j_7mna20sjjckd_u.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Houstonian served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Expanding access to the Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program was one of his primary legislative successes. Turner supported Michael Bloomberg in the 2020 presidential primaries but later showed a commitment to Joe Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner, a Democrat, defeated Bill King in a runoff election for Mayor of Houston in 2015. On January 2, 2016, he formally took over as City Mayor, succeeding Annise Parker. Turner was elected Mayor for the second time in December 2019. He is Houston&#8217;s second African American Mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a Democrat, Turner was loyal to the LGBT community and advocated for abortion rights. He voted against a rule that required physicians to perform a sonogram (prenatal ultrasound) on women who wanted an abortion. Turner also voted against the Senate&#8217;s idea of prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tightening abortion clinic regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Major_achievements\"><\/span>Major achievements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the recovery efforts in Houston following Hurricane Harvey, Turner ensured the opening and operation of the George R. Brown Convention Center as a makeshift shelter for nearly twelve thousand people. He additionally contributed to the establishment and operation of Neighborhood Recovery Centers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To reduce crime in the city, Turner appointed proven crime fighter Art Acevedo as chief of police of the Houston Police Department. He also worked with educational institutions to educate young people about violence and appointed the Mayor\u2019s Commission Against Gun Violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mayor opposed measures to limit cases against gun or ammunition manufacturers. He also opposed allowing concealed carry of weapons in institutions of higher education. Moreover, he fought against proposals to cut the number of hours of training required to obtain a concealed weapons license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/08\/lsggivzh9ij294fvnaienyfitxoph0fvjpexeue3epggxkmld5y8efduxh7ngzpc2kt117fqgf5xidcjsy3yppaa4opksunovxiobyu09jdyeazcd17wogs4nwojsueyletmhjev-xltnc7s30-wqq8.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner turned Houston into a favorable environment for computer technology and technical innovation. Utilizing technology tools, the Mayor oversaw improvements to the city&#8217;s public website. The website offers employment opportunities and other amenities to residents and visitors. He also created a Nextdoor.com account, which allowed him to provide urban service updates to over 300 thousand households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under his administration, Houston rose to the top of the US rankings for ethnic diversity. Turner also established Complete Communities, an initiative that combines private and nonprofit investment with city and county funding to improve conditions in low-income neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mayor has emerged as a leading figure in local government in the nation&#8217;s effort to control technogenic climate change. He formed the Climate Action Plan for utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar or wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner has made highly effective initiatives to minimize the amount of homelessness in the city by cooperating with nonprofit coalitions. During his administration, the size of Houston&#8217;s homeless population dropped by more than half. The Mayor has also led international missions to countries that trade extensively with Houston, including China and India. As a result, the city has developed trade, tourism and cultural ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/08\/1p-ilouh7duqwlmv6z440fkly-kyak-zzqpxwpterd4djfc47thgguokklplvb_xfusqb2r_zoi6gnd7ny3stl5eegxd0ivouo8qilmeyhn-fuhwfx-o_8m5gxwpd5ftj9_6fkdfxroq0jxts5ujlo.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Workers&#8217; rights advocate Turner created the Hire Houston Youth, a program that engaged 16- to 24-year-old Houston residents to take summer jobs at private, nonprofit and government institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2016, Texas had the highest number of drunk driving deaths in the United States. As a result, Turner advocated for stronger regulations governing Uber and other ride-sharing services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criticism\"><\/span>Criticism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following Hurricane Harvey, which caused catastrophic flooding in Southeast Texas in 2017, Turner was criticized. The Mayor did not suggest any form of evacuation. In response to criticism, he stated that it was impossible to physically and technically evacuate 6.5 million people. Critics have countered that it was not the millions but the tens of thousands of people in flood zones that required the most assistance and that the Mayor had enough resources to help them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing up as a child of ordinary parents, Sylvester Turner used to walk around the city center, gazing at the high-rises and fantasizing about his success. Back then, he had no idea that he would win his place in the sun in the world of law and politics. Read more about the life and professional [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":307,"featured_media":2318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[1029,914,1025,1024,1028,976,1021,1023,1026,1032,1033,1031,1030,1027],"motype":[491],"moformat":[93],"moimportance":[101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-2700","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-the-mayor","8":"tag-after-graduating-from-the-school-of-law","9":"tag-childhood-and-education","11":"tag-growing-up-as-a-child-of-ordinary-parents","12":"tag-law-practice","13":"tag-political-career","14":"tag-sylvester-turner","15":"tag-sylvester-turner-used-to-walk-around-the-city-center","16":"tag-sylvester-turner-was-born-in-houston-on-september-27","17":"tag-turner-also-spent-a-great-deal-of-time-as-an-immigration-attorney","18":"tag-turner-campaigned-for-harris-county-commissioner-for-the-democratic-party-in-1984-but-was-defeated-by-el-franco-lee","19":"tag-turner-served-as-an-adjunct-professor-at-the-thurgood-marshall-school-of-law-at-the-texas-southern-university-in-houston","20":"tag-turner-was-hired-by-the-fulbright-jaworski-law-firm","21":"tag-turners-father-died-of-cancer","22":"motype-eternal","23":"moformat-longrid-korotka","24":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","25":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/307"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2700"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2713,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2700\/revisions\/2713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2700"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2700"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2700"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}