Lee Turner

 A self-described “Army brat” with four siblings, an Army Colonel father, and a mother who Lee describes as, “the total package,” Lee Turner’s childhood was a mix of fun, adventure, and discipline. Born in Japan on an Army base, her teen years were spent in Heidelberg, Germany. Her father, ‘The Colonel,’ fought in 3 wars and upon retiring from active duty, established the JR-ROTC Dept in a small northeast Georgia town, and ran it for the next 20 years. Apart from their military service time spent abroad, her family has called the South home for decades.

After receiving a degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia, Lee began her career at PriceWaterhouse in Atlanta, then briefly, worked in finance for a coal company in SW Virginia. Returning to Atlanta, she joined Turner Broadcasting 20 days after CNN went on air and ultimately became a divisional VP of Business Affairs, where she participated in syndicating CNN in airports & hotels all around the world.  She later obtained a real estate license and did private client tax work in Atlanta before returning to her family’s hometown in Georgia, where she spent 13 years as a CFO in the granite manufacturing and long-haul trucking industries, managing their employee healthcare programs as well. Not busy enough yet, she began renovating historic homes, and established a white tablecloth restaurant in town, before her endless curiosity led her to experience life on a registered cattle farm in middle Tennessee. These diverse experiences have led to Lee’s unique perspective and understanding of people from all walks of life, but especially people from the South that she loves and calls home. 

She was lured to Greenville SC six  years ago, just over the border from that small Georgia town. She returned to tax practice, generally serving wealthy taxpayers, when the light bulb went off. She realized the tax reform enacted in 2017 was a tailor-made tax cut for the rich and corporations, and a fleecing of middle- to lower-income Americans. This unfairness caused her to vow, “Someone is going to listen to us, someone is going to fear us, and someone is going to represent us.” 

Lee’s light bulb moment has twice compelled her to rise to the occasion. She ran for Congress in 2018, losing in a runoff after prevailing in the primary among a crowded field.  Since that time, she has remained active in the 4th Congressional District community, listening to what people experience, need and want, and what they dream of, too. A problem solver and ‘fix it’ person by nature, Lee’s diverse background provides a unique ability to unravel complex issues like health care and tax reform, with a track record of success in roles where fiscal responsibility is crucial. Using easy to understand math, real life examples and simple logic, she explains how we can respect each other’s priorities, find the ‘sweet spot of mutual benefit’, and gain the quality-of-life improvements we need in South Carolina and America today. Lee Turner Write-In Candidate for South Carolina District 4