Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner Dies At 70 Just Hours After Attending Trump’s Address To Congress

Alessio AtriaMarch 6, 2025, 1:54 pmNews >

Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner (D) has died at 70, just hours after he attended President Donald Trump‘s address to a joint session of Congress. The news of Turner’s death, which occurred on Wednesday, was announced in a statement from his office made on the same day. No cause of death was revealed, though in 2022, he stated that he was treated for bone cancer. He told the Texas Tribune in an interview later that year he was “cancer-free.”

“Throughout his career, he was known for his bipartisan leadership, dedication to his constituents, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of all Houstonians,” the office wrote in the statement. “Congressman Turner is survived by his loving family, devoted staff and numerous friends who cherished his wisdom, humor, and steadfast dedication to public service. Details regarding memorial services will be announced in the coming days,” the office noted. “The family is asking for privacy during this difficult time.”

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In a recent statement, Turner’s family noted that, prior to his passing, he attended President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. “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,” the family stated. “After attending the State of The Union Address in Washington, D.C. last evening, Congressman Turner was taken to the hospital and he was later released.”

“On Wednesday, March 5, at approximately 5:45 a.m., he died at his home from enduring health complications,” the Texas congressman’s family revealed. “The Turner family is requesting fervent prayers from all who knew and loved him. We also request the public’s respect for our family’s privacy as we process this difficult reality. Official communication will come from his staff at the appropriate time. Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant. But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling, and relative. Thank you for your prayers. More information regarding services will be forthcoming.”

In response to the news of his passing, Turner’s Democratic colleagues paid tribute to him.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire joined the city to mourn the congressman’s death prior to a City Council meeting on Wednesday morning, noting that they were close friends.

“Sylvester Turner is a remarkable public servant that has impacted quite frankly millions of people,” Whitmire stated. “He rose from poverty to meet with presidents and kings and queens. But here’s what I want everybody to remember. He never forgot where he came from.”

“He was a public servant right up ’til he took his last breath,” the mayor of Houston declared. “It’s a personal loss for me, it’s a loss for the city, and I just hope we’ll all come together [and] realize we have so much more in common than we do with our differences.”

Turner served as mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024. Before that, he graduated from Harvard Law School, worked as an attorney in Houston, and served 27 years in the Texas House, where he was part of the state’s appropriations panel.

When longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) died of pancreatic cancer last July, Turner, one of her allies, came out of retirement and announced he would run for her seat.

Local Democratic leaders chose him to appear on the November ballot because Jackson Lee had already won her primary in March 2024. He won the seat and was sworn in on Jan. 3.