Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died Tuesday night at the age of 70, according to top Democrats.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., announced Turner’s passing at a House Homeland Security hearing on Wednesday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., later issued a statement expressing his shock and sadness.
Turner, who previously served as the mayor of Houston, Texas, was elected to replace the late Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee, who died in July of last year.
Turner served 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives, and was elected mayor of Houston in 2015 and again in 2019.
Turner was on Capitol Hill as recently as Tuesday afternoon ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.
The lawmaker was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in 2022.
Jeffries honored Turner in a statement Wednesday.
“As the Representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, Sylvester followed in the hallowed footsteps of trailblazers like the great Barbara Jordan and our late sister, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We all stand on the shoulders of these incredible giants and join Texans in mourning the tremendous loss of another iconic leader. 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. In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us ‘don’t mess with Medicaid,'” Jeffries wrote.
Turner’s office has yet to release a statement on the congressman’s death.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
