The Propeller Club of the United States of America

Turner Pollard Strategies

Terry Turner started his political career knocking on doors in Iowa during the 1976 primary season for then-Governor Jimmy Carter. After that successful effort, he went on to run several states in the Midwest before settling in Virginia to lead the effort in the General Election. When Carter was elected, Turner served a short stint in the White House before accepting a job with Chuck Robb, who successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor — his first elective office.

Turner then hooked up with legendary political consultant Matt Reese, considered by most professional observers to be the father of modern day election engineering. During his tenure with Reese, he honed his trade working in a half dozen states, culminating in underdog victories in Kentucky and Missouri. In 1979, the White House asked him to run the Iowa Caucuses, beating challengers Jerry Brown and Ted Kennedy by a 2-1 margin. Turner went on to run the effort in Ohio before settling in Virginia for the general election.

After the Presidential election of 1980, Turner then signed up with the Seafarers Union where he served for over 23 years. Eight of those years were spent in Louisville, Kentucky, serving in the dual capacity with the SIU as the grassroots Field Director covering seven southern states, as well as the Political Director for the Kentucky State AFL-CIO. In his capacity with the SIU, Turner was responsible for developing and implementing a grassroots program for communicating with elected officials in 7 southern states. As Political Director of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, Turner set into place the political blueprint for Labor’s efforts to elect candidates who supported Labor’s legislative agenda.

In 1989 Turner was named National Political and Legislative Director for the SIU and moved to Washington. In this dual role, he has spent 15 years developing coordinated legislative strategies, as well as directing millions of dollars a year for one of this country’s largest political action committees. Turner also directed a cadre of political operatives who served as SIU Field Directors across the country, much as he did while in Kentucky.

In 2003, Turner retired from the SIU and joined Northpoint Strategies, bringing the SIU as a client. In September of 2006, Turner started his own consulting firm, Turner Pollard Strategies, partnering up with Capitol Hill veteran Jack Pollard, who has spent the majority of his career as Chief of Staff for Ike Skelton, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee.