US Rep. and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died at 70, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries confirmed Wednesday. His sudden passing comes just months into his first term in Congress, leaving Houston and the political world in shock.
Turner, who had been in Washington, DC, on Tuesday for President Donald Trump’s address before Congress, was taken to a hospital later that night. According to his spokesperson Linda Brown, he was released but passed away at home Wednesday morning. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
“The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner,” Jeffries said in a statement, calling him a lifelong fighter for Houston.
Turner was elected in November, succeeding longtime US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died last July after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Before his congressional win, he served two terms as Houston’s mayor, navigating the city through crises like Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
In 2022, Turner revealed he had undergone surgery and radiation therapy for bone cancer in his jaw. Whether his past illness played a role in his sudden passing remains unclear.
His death marks the second loss of a Houston congressional leader in under a year, leaving a significant void in Texas politics.
