Bob Turner is a candidate for the Town of Edenton Councilman, First Ward. His name will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023.

He is running against Travis Gilliard and Stephanie C. Bergeron.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race with specific questions. The responses below came directly from the candidate and are unedited. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Candidate Name: Bob Turner

Age: 53

Race: Town of Edenton Councilman, First Ward

Biography: In 2009, I moved from Perquimans County and have been a resident of Edenton for the past 14 years. For 13 of those years, I had the privilege of working at John A. Holmes High School as the Athletic Director while also teaching Physical Education. During my time at the school, I also coached football and baseball for the ACES. Presently, I am employed as the Northeast NC regional sales representative for Johnson-Lambe Sporting Goods, located in Raleigh, NC. For the past nine years, I have been responsible for serving the athletic needs of schools, recreational departments, and travel sports teams in 13 counties.

Ever since I arrived in Edenton, volunteering has been a significant part of my life. I find great satisfaction in contributing to the community and believe that it is crucial to give back to the area you call home. Currently, I serve on multiple boards in Edenton and Chowan County, including as Vice President for the Chowan County Regional Fair, Vice President of the Edenton Steamers, Vice President of the Edenton-Chowan Community Foundation, President of the Edenton Baseball Club, and a member of the Chowan County ABC board. Additionally, a few years back, I thoroughly enjoyed my four years on the Chowan County Chamber of Commerce.

I am very proud of my wife Lisa Turner’s accomplishments in the banking world as she has been a bank leader at Truist (formerly BB&T) for 35 plus years. My son Cole Turner graduated from NC State University and works for Spruill Farms in Washington County. My two stepdaughter’s both work in the dental field. Ashley Winslow Cox is a dental hygienist at Eastern Pines Dental in Greenville. We enjoy travel, family and helping in our community as much as we can. 

Why are you running for this office?

I believe that now is the perfect time to pursue this opportunity. I do not want to look back in the future and regret not taking advantage of this moment. I have reached out to many of my neighbors, friends, family members in Ward1 and the town and I want to be the voice for them on the town council to move forward into making Edenton even better than it is right now. 

My intention is to continue learning as much as possible about the town’s needs and to thoughtfully consider all perspectives before making decisions. Through my experience in administration, coaching, and serving on various boards, I have come to understand the value of listening before acting. It is crucial to take the time to reflect and think through the situation before reacting if time permits. While I cannot say that I have always followed this approach as a coach and athletic director, I believe that it is vital to do so when serving as a representative for the community.

What is the most important issue facing the community, and what is your position on it?  

There are and always will be important issues with any town or community. If I had to pick one that is not resolved yet it would be the SAGA project with Hinton Hotel.  I think the Town Council, mayor and  Corey Gooden have put some pressure on them and we are starting to see this moving forward some finally. Without the outside groups who have been pressuring SAGA to do something it would continue to just become more of an eyesore and danger to our downtown. We have to keep their feet to the fire and keep them moving at this faster pace. I truly feel when this project is finalized and complete we will all look at it as a positive thing for our downtown but we have to keep them pushing forward. 

What it the top challenge facing your constituents, and how would you address it?   

I think all of us have great value that we can bring to the town. We all bring different perspectives, knowledge and experience that could benefit the town and our citizens. I feel that I can be a great benefit and will work hard every day to do the best for all citizens with my decisions and choices as the Ward 1 town councilman. 

How will you still value constituents and politicians with whom you disagree?

We all have our opinions. We have to listen to all and see their sides before a final decision is made. Sometimes we will not agree the same but at the end of the day you have to think about what is best for the entire town and its citizens. You may not get 100% support but I feel you have to do what is best for most.