Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-TX) died Tuesday night after he was hospitalized in Washington, D.C., according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire. Turner was 70 years old and had just started his first term in Congress after taking the place of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
According to CBS News affiliate KHOU, Turner was in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress Tuesday night before he was taken to the hospital. The last social post from Turner was a video showing him standing with his guest for the night, Angela Hernandez, outside of his office.
“I am proud to have Angela Hernandez here from our Congressional district as my guest. She is representing and advocating for her daughter Baislee Garcia who has a rare genetic disorder Chromosome 8p: Inversion/Duplication/Deletion,” Turner posted.
My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: “Don’t mess with Medicaid.”
I am proud to have Angela Hernandez here from our Congressional district as my guest. She is representing and advocating for her daughter Baislee Garcia who has a rare genetic… pic.twitter.com/n9p49IXGHa
— U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner (@repsturner) March 5, 2025
The cause of Turner’s sudden death remains unknown. In 2022, Turner revealed that he was battling bone cancer and was undergoing treatment. The Democrat said he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after visiting the dentist for a root canal, which led to doctors taking a biopsy of his jaw. Turner underwent surgery where doctors replaced a portion of his jaw with bone from his leg, the Houston Chronicle reported. Turner said he also “went through radiation for six weeks” in 2022, adding that it was “every single morning, Monday through Friday.”
Turner, who also served as mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024, won the election for Texas’ 18th district in November, the seat formerly held by Rep. Jackson Lee, who died in office last July. Before serving as mayor, Turner served as a Texas state representative for 27 years.
Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) mourned the death of his colleague, saying he spoke to Turner just hours ago “on the House floor.”
“Brenda Gail and I are heartbroken by the passing of my friend Sylvester Turner,” said Weber. “We served together in the Texas House, and I had the honor of working alongside him in Congress, even if only for a short time. He was a devoted public servant who cared deeply for Houstonians. Just last night, we spoke on the House Floor—life is too short. We are praying for his family, friends, and all who are mourning his passing.”
