 In 1872, he served as parliamentary correspondent in the provincial assembly for "Le Canadien".In 1873, he became a member of the town council in Trois-Rivières and served as mayor from July 1876 to July 1877.Turcotte was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for Trois-Rivières in an 1876 by-election as an independent Conservative; he was reelected in 1878.