According to multiple sources, Congressman Sylvester Turner, inaugurated into the U.S. House of Representatives, died at age 70 on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Turner, affiliated with the Democratic Party, served as the Mayor of Houston, Texas, for eight years before his Congressional role. His passing occurred the morning after attending a joint session of Congress addressed by President Donald Trump.
He represented Texas’s 18th congressional district, a position he assumed in January. Turner succeeded Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer in July 2024.
According to the Courthouse News Service, Turner died after a prolonged struggle with bone cancer, passing in a Washington, D.C. hospital. In 2022, Turner had disclosed his treatment for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer in his jaw, and had announced being cancer-free during his Congressional campaign.
His unexpected death left Congressional colleagues stunned, many of whom had seen him at the Presidential address the previous evening. A video on Turner’s social media showed him in Washington, D.C. for the address.
The House Democratic Caucus expressed profound grief and shock at Turner’s death, acknowledging his long-term commitment to the Houston area.
Turner’s public service career extended nearly 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives before becoming Houston’s mayor in 2016. He led the nation’s fourth-largest city through various challenges, notably the flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Jackson Lee’s family endorsed Turner as her successor for the predominantly Democratic district, covering much of inner-city Houston. Turner won the election in November 2024 and took office in January 2025.
Following Turner’s death, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a special election to fill the vacant seat for the 18th congressional district.
Turner’s death impacted the balance in the narrowly divided House of Representatives. As reported by Courthouse News Service, “Turner’s death leaves the House at a 218-214 split, giving Republicans one extra vote of breathing room in the upcoming legislative contest over the federal budget.”
While Turner’s time in Congress was brief, lasting merely two months, his legacy in public service spans over 30 years, marking him as a significant figure in Houston’s political landscape.
The 18th congressional district has historically been represented by prominent Democratic figures, including Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South, and Jackson Lee, who served from 1995 until her death in 2024.
As the news of Turner’s death spread, tributes from political colleagues across party lines highlighted his decades-long service to Houston and Texas.
The special election for Texas’s 18th district was held on May 4, 2025, as noted by the Texas Secretary of State.
State Representative Jarvis Johnson, a Democrat and former Houston City Council member, won the election with just over 50% of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff. Johnson has been sworn in as the new representative and plans to continue Turner’s emphasis on infrastructure and healthcare in Houston.
