Embattled State Rep. Eric Turner to resign after elections

Ashley’s opponent, Rep. Eric Turner, (R-Cicero) announced that he would resign from the seat, if elected, following the Nov. 4 election. Turner has been embroiled in an ethics dispute for much of the year and was removed from his leadership position in the House.

Turner represents three precincts in Madison County, located in Boone, Duck Creek and Van Burn townships. The district includes Grant, Hamilton, Howard, Miami and Tipton counties.

Ashley said voters have told him that Turner hasn’t represented them for a long time.

“I’m surprised,” he said of Turner’s announcement. “I thought he would resign a long time ago.”

If Turner wins re-election and resigns, the precinct committeemen in the district will select his replacement.

“What it says is that the voters will take a leap of faith that the Indianapolis politicians will choose someone they want,” Ashley said. “Politicians in Indianapolis shouldn’t select who represents the 32nd District.”

Ashley said Turner’s announcement came too late in the election process.

Ludy Watkins, chairman of the Madison County Democratic Party, said Turner’s announcement gives a big boost to Ashley’s campaign

“It makes Bob Ashley’s campaign much stronger,” she said. “I wouldn’t vote for anyone who announced he will resigned if elected.”

Watkins said she was surprised by the announcement.

“This should help Ashley’s campaign tremendously,” she said.

Russ Willis, chairman of the Madison County Republican Party, said Turner’s announcement came as a surprise and was not expected.

“I don’t know the dynamics of the district, but it will have some impact,” he said. “We’ll have to see what happens in the Nov. 4 election.”

Willis said District 32 is considered to be Republican and incumbency is a powerful factor. He said Ashley would try to take advantage of the announcement during the campaign.

Turner was first elected to the Indiana House in 1982, serving through 1986. He was re-elected in 1994 and was seeking an 11th consecutive term.

The Associated Press reported that Turner said Friday that he will leave the General Assembly to take a job with a Christian group in Atlanta.

His announcement came just weeks after Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said he would remove Turner from his leadership team after the elections.

Turner lobbied in private to kill legislation that would have been disastrous to his family's nursing home business. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show Turner stood to lose millions if a proposed construction ban had passed.

Turner has consistently said he did nothing wrong, but Bosma cited "irreconcilable conflicts" in deciding to strip Turner of his post.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.