The US Senate has confirmed Scott Turner as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a 55-44 vote.
The Senate vote was nearly entirely along party lines with all Republicans and two Democrats – Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) – backing Turner’s nomination.
The 52-year-old Turner is the first HUD Secretary who comes from a private sector real estate background – he was previously chief visionary officer at JPI, an Irving, Texas-based developer, builder, and investment manager of Class A multifamily assets. He also served as CEO and founder of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council and is the chairman of the Center for Education Opportunity at America First Policy Institute. During the first Trump administration, he was the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
Turner first gained national prominence as a cornerback in the NFL, playing nine seasons from 1995 through 2003 for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. In 2012, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he served a single term.
Turner will be responsible for a department with a $70 billion budget and 8,000 employees. He is also the highest-ranking Black member of the incoming administration.
Congrats and good luck