Houston democratic Congressman, Sylvester Turner, died at the age of 70-years-old on March 4. According to reps, he died of complications that resulted in a medical emergency, but was previously seen by other Democratic leaders as he was . It was only his first term, after he was elected in January. He also served as Mayor of Houston for two terms. Turner represented the 18th Congressional District of Texas.
Turner’s passing unfortunately occurred hours after President Donald Trump’s, at 5:45am. After Trump’s controversial speech with Congress, Turner was ushered to the hospital, according to a statement from his family.
“It is with inexpressible sadness that we the family of Congressman Sylvester Turner, Representative for the 18th Congressional District of Texas, acknowledge his unexpected passing,” they said. “Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant. But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling, and relative. Thank you for your prayers.”
Turner was held in high regard by many Houstonians, often referred to for his impeccable leadership, extraordinary character, and strategic vision. Born on Sept. 27, 1954 in Acres Homes, Texas, Turner came from a large family that consisted of eight sisters and brothers with two parents who were hard workers. His father Eddie Turner, was a commercial painter and his mother, Ruby Mae Turner, was a maid at the Rice Hotel.
A hard worker who valued education, he graduated from Klein Highschool in 1973 and was a distinguished valedictorian. Turner then obtained a Bachelors degree in political science from the University of Houston in 1977 and a J.D. degree from the prestigious Harvard Law School in 1980. He then had a fruitful career in law as a trial lawyer for Fulbright & Jaworski, which motivated him to launch and be a co-founder of Barnes and Turner. The distinguished law firm specialized in personalized injury and commercial law.
Turner has left his mark, serving a total of 27 years representing District 39 for Texas’ House of Representatives. He also served 21 years with a seat on the House Appropriations Committee. Turner was elected as the 62nd mayor of Houston, serving two terms in 2015 and 2019. The leader has led the city of Houston through catastrophic natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey.
Current Houston Mayor John Whitmire officially announced Turner’s death on Wednesday at a City Council meeting. Whitmire said that during Trump’s speech, other leaders communicated that Turner was not feeling well.
“We’ve lost an outstanding public official,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement.: Experience matters folks. No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shows and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.”
WIth a steadfast career as a democratic political leader, he also faced health conditions such as a diagnosis Osteosarcoma — a form of oral cancer in the jaw — that was shared publicly in November 2022. According to reports, Turner eventually became cancer free after treatment. His family did not share his exact cause of death and have remained private.
He is survived by his daughter and grandson and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.