Longtime Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner dies at age 70, officials confirm
BREAKING NEWS Longtime Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner dies at age 70, officials confirm
The confirmation of Turner’s death came just months after he won Texas’ 18th Congressional District race.
U.S. Congressman and longtime Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died at 70, United States representatives and sources confirmed on Wednesday.
The confirmation of Turner’s death came just months after he won Texas’ 18th Congressional District race. Turner stood as a pillar in the history of the state’s largest municipality, serving eight years as Houston’s mayor and 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives. He represented Texas District 139 from 1989 until 2016.
Turner was in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, according to his X account.
“We’ve lost an outstanding public official,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in city hall on Wednesday. “Experience matters folks. No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.”
A native Houstonian, Turner was born in 1954 and grew up in the suburbs of Acres Homes.
In the final stretch of his mayoral tenure in 2022, Turner announced he had been quietly battling bone cancer. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after doctors discovered a tumor on his jaw during a dental visit when he complained of a toothache.
Turner declared himself cancer free at the end of 2022.
“I’m a better speaker because of Sylvester,” Whitmire said on Wednesday. “You just can’t understand what it’s like to be in an African American — a Black church on Sunday morning with everyone enjoying the service and have to follow Sylvester Turner speaking. He will bring out the best in you in public service.”
RELATED: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner reflects on his time leading the city as he prepares to leave office
During his mayoral tenure, Turner garnered support in his campaign to address Houston’s potholes, infrastructure, public safety and flooding. Just into his first term, the mayor showed how ready he was to tackle what Houston had to offer.
Last year, he stepped out of his brief retirement to enter a head-to-head race to fill the late Sheila Jackson Lee’s congressional seat. Upon announcing he would seek to take up her seat, Turner said only Jackson Lee’s passing at a critical moment in the election cycle could bring him out of retirement.
Turner’s campaign platform for the congressional seat focused on his efforts to keep federal resources flowing to address hurricane recovery, cancer clusters in Houston’s Fifth Ward and police accountability.
Turner also aimed to pass strong reforms to end a gun violence epidemic, reduce inequality in public schools and address rising prices and the high cost of living.
On Wednesday, several city and state officials paid homage to Turner’s impacts.
“It is hard to put into words the loss of Congressman Sylvester Turner,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement. “For nearly four decades, he devoted his life to public service, standing as a pillar of strength, wisdom and unwavering commitment to Houstonians, residents of the 18th Congressional District, and all Texans.”
U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District, said Turner personified what it meant to be a Houstonian.
“I am heartbroken and devastated by the loss of this exceptional Houstonian and exceptional human being,” Fletcher said. “In his presence you could always feel the love for the city that we call home and for all the people who live here.”
Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones said Turner’s passing was a tremendous loss to the community and country.
“Congressman Turner was a transformational leader whose presence was felt in every neighborhood he represented, whose career carried the hopes of his community, and whose legacy will resonate for generations,” Briones said. “He loved to remind us that in Houston.”
This is a developing story.
Know more about Sarah Grunau
More Articles by This Author
Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston
© 2025 Houston Public Media
RELATED
MOST VIEWED
Sarah Grunau
OTHER STORIES BY SARAH
Resources like these are made possible by the generosity of our community of donors, foundations, and corporate partners. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today!
DONATE
Sign up for our daily weekday newsletter – Hello, Houston!
SIGN UP NOW
Programs & podcasts
Support
POLITICS
‘A transformational leader’
DIGITAL REPORTER
Features
Topic
Art & Culture
Awareness
Local Programs
UH
Education
Podcasts
Membership
Giving Programs
Volunteers
Partnerships
Support Comes From
Support Comes From
TIMELINE: Sylvester Turner, from Acres Homes to Congress
HOUSTON — Sylvester Turner, a lifelong Houstonian and dedicated public servant, spent more than three decades shaping the city and state through his leadership. He passed away at the age of 70 on Tuesday night.
Serving 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives before becoming Houston’s 62nd mayor, Turner led the city through some of its most challenging times, including the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED: Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor and current Congressman, dead at age 70
“Sylvester and I shared the incommunicable experience of Harvey… But what made it different with him was that it was never about him. It was always about, ‘OK, what are we going to do to help those people out there whose homes are flooded?’ That’s all he ever thought about,” former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said of his time serving alongside Turner.
His tenure was marked by financial reforms, public safety initiatives and efforts to make Houston a leader in climate action.
Turner’s legacy as a steadfast advocate for economic opportunity, urban resilience, and community revitalization remains deeply woven into Houston’s history.
RELATED: Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner dies in Washington, D.C. | What happens next?
1954 – Born in Acres Homes, Houston, Texas.
1970s – Attends the University of Houston, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
1980 – Earns a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
1980s – Begins legal career at Fulbright & Jaworski as a trial lawyer.
1983 – Co-founds Barnes & Turner, a law firm specializing in commercial and personal injury litigation.
1989 – Elected to the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 139.
1991 – Begins serving on the Texas House Appropriations Committee, shaping state fiscal policy.
2003 – Named Speaker Pro Tem of the Texas House, a position he holds for six years.
2015 – Elected as the 62nd Mayor of Houston.
2017 – Leads Houston through Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst natural disasters in the city’s history.
2019 – Re-elected as Houston’s mayor for a second term.
2020 – Guides Houston through the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing citywide response measures.
2020 – Launches Houston’s Climate Action Plan, committing to carbon neutrality by 2050.
2021 – Introduces the One Safe Houston initiative to address violent crime and mental health services.
2022 – Expands the Complete Communities initiative, revitalizing historically underserved neighborhoods.
2023 – Ends tenure as Houston’s mayor after two terms.
2023 – Elected U.S. Representative for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a seat previously held by civil rights leaders Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington, and Sheila Jackson Lee.
2024 – Serves as Chair of the African American Mayors Association and Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
March 1, 2025 – Appears at the RodeoHouston Parade.
March 4, 2025 – Attends President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress.
March 5, 2025 – Passes away at age 70 in Washington, D.C., as announced by Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
Spearheaded Houston’s pension reform, reducing financial liabilities by billions.
Led the city through seven federally declared natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey.
Championed environmental policies as Chair of U.S. Climate Mayors.
Created the Hire Houston Youth program, providing over 20,000 jobs to young adults.
Implemented One Clean Houston to combat illegal dumping.
Strengthened Houston’s national and global influence in climate and urban resilience policy.
Source: Turner’s official website.
Early life and education
Begins legal and political career
Mayor of Houston and national leadership
Congressional service and final years
Major initiatives and accomplishments
Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Texas Democrat, dies at 70
Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Texas Democrat, dies at 70
WASHINGTON — First-term Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died Tuesday night after suffering a medical emergency following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, according to two House Democratic lawmakers who were informed of his death.
He was 70 years old and had just taken the oath of office in January. Turner had previously battled bone cancer.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., later Wednesday confirmed Turner’s death in a statement, calling the former Houston mayor an “iconic leader” and a “fighter until the end.”
“The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Though he was newly elected to the Congress, Rep. Turner had a long and distinguished career in public service and spent decades fighting for the people of Houston,” Jeffries said.
At a closed-door Democratic meeting Wednesday morning, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., announced to colleagues that Turner had died and that his family has been notified, according to one lawmaker who attended the meeting.
Another Democrat who saw Turner in the underground tunnel that connects the Capitol with the Cannon Building said that it appeared Turner was having a medical emergency early Tuesday afternoon. Capitol Police were notified and went to assist him, the lawmaker said.
Several Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday they either saw Turner or spoke to him on the House floor before Trump’s joint address to Congress. Photographs and video from the speech also show Turner seated toward the back of the chamber.
Around 8:30 p.m. ET, shortly before the address began, Turner posted a video on social media with his guest, Angela Hernandez, who was advocating for her daughter who has a rare genetic disorder.
“Angela is here to advocate on the importance of Medicaid,” Turner said in the video. “So please let people know, ‘Don’t mess with Medicaid.'”
Jeffries referenced that video in his tribute to Turner.
“Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end — he was present yesterday evening to ensure that the voice of one of his constituents, who relies on Medicaid, was heard,” Jeffries said. “In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us ‘don’t mess with Medicaid.'”
Turner was elected to Congress in November and served as mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024. Before that, he had graduated from Harvard Law School, worked as an at attorney in Houston, and then served more than a quarter century as a state lawmaker.
When longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, died of pancreatic cancer in July of last year, Turner, an ally of the congresswoman, announced he would run for her seat and was selected by local Democratic leaders to appear on the November ballot since Jackson Lee had already won her primary that March.
He easily won the seat and was sworn in on Jan. 3. Turner was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Turner’s death means that Republicans now hold a 218-214 majority. Under that breakdown, Republicans can still only afford one GOP defection on any vote if all lawmakers are present and voting.
According to Texas election law, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, must call a special election to fill the vacancy, but that process could take months.
On social media, tributes poured in for Turner. Fellow Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., said on X that Turner “leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service as Mayor of Houston and the Representative for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.”
Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, also remembered Turner and his constituents.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a dedicated public servant who stepped up to take the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s seat in January,” McCaul wrote on X. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, loved ones, and the people of Houston as they grieve yet another loss.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on X that Turner “served his community faithfully, not only as a member of Congress, but as a former state legislator and a mayor of Houston. Our prayers are with his family and constituents as they mourn his loss.”
Scott Wong is a senior congressional reporter for NBC News.
Syedah Asghar is a Capitol Hill researcher for NBC News and is based in Washington, D.C.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
