Rawdon Nirobi Antonio Turner is an

Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bi ...

politician, who was elected as Member of Parliament for St. Peter in the by-election held on 14 January 2025 and appointed Minister of Social and Urban Transformation in the government of the Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

Early life and education

Turner born on March 30, 1981, in Antigua and brought up in Parham Town. He completed his schooling at

Antigua State College Antigua State College is a public tertiary institution in Antigua and Barbuda, with 1,000 students enrolled in several programs. The college consists of several departments such as the Advanced Level, Department of business, engineering, departm ...

, where he majored in engineering, after attending Pares Secondary School. Afterwards he achieved a degree in Architectural studies at the

University of Technology An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

in Jamaica.

Professional career

His love of learning brought him to the teaching profession, where he flourished for seven years before starting his own business. He established Rawdon and Associates, a company that specialises in mining, hardware supply, building, and architectural design, which has given locals steady employment prospects.

Political career

Turner joined

on 2022 when he was officially nominated as candidate to the House of Representatives for

St. Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

constituency. After being defeated by Asot Michael in the 2023 general elections, he was appointed to the

Senate of Antigua and Barbuda A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...

for the government on 23 January 2023. In his brief career in the Senate he rose up to the position of deputy president, on 19 November 2024.https://antiguaobserver.com/nicholas-resigns-from-senate-as-turner-elected-vice-president/ On 4 November 2024, St. Peter MP Asot Michael was assassinated. On 16 November, Turner was confirmed again as the ABLP's candidate in the constituency. He resigned on 27 December from Senate in view of by-election challenge. On December 31, 2024, it took place the official nomination of Rawdon Turner by Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party to contest the by-election in St. Peter on January 14, 2025. On December 23, 2024, the

United Progressive Party The United Progressive Party is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. It was previously led by Baldwin Spencer, it was the governing party from 2004 to 2014. It has been in opposition since the 2014 election. Jamale Pringle was elected lea ...

(UPP) named George Wehner as candidate to contend for the same seat He has been officially nominated on December 31. Turner launched his campaign on the January 4, 2025, traversing the streets of St. Peter accompanied by Prime Minister

Gaston Browne Gaston Alphonso Browne (born 9 February 1967) is an Antiguan politician serving as the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda and leader of the Labour Party since 2014. Before entering politics, he was a banker and businessman. Early life Brown ...

, MP for St. Paul, E.P. Chet Greene and Tourism Minister Charles Max Fernandez, unveiling his manifesto and detailing his proposed plans and initiatives for the area. Turner emerged victorious in St. Peter by-election on January 14, 2025. He won overwhelmingly (getting all 11 boxes with 1,672 votes in the constituency against his opponent George Wehner, who had 570) and called to become Minister in the Gaston Browne cabinet. He officially sworn in as Minister of Social and Urban Transformation on January 15, 2025.

Community involvement

Turner was actively involved in community work before entering politics. He was the President of the Parham Alliance Beautification and Revitalisation Organisation (PABRO), which promoted community cleanups and mobilised locals to enhance their surroundings. His strong participation extended to the Fitches Creek Residents Association, where he helped with different cleanup activities throughout St. Peter. Turner was able to fund and support various big events in his town, such as sports contests and educational achievements, as well as offer scholarships.

Personal life

Turner is in a relationship and is the father of a child.

References