U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, who was sworn into Congress just two months ago, has died at the age of 70, multiple sources confirmed on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Turner, a Democrat who previously served as Houston, Texas mayor for eight years, died Wednesday morning, March 5, 2025, after attending President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
The Houston congressman had represented Texas’s 18th congressional district since January, filling the seat previously held by longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died in July 2024 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
While no official cause of death has been released, the Courthouse News Service reported that Turner died in a Washington hospital “after a years-long battle with bone cancer.” In 2022, Turner had publicly disclosed that he had been treated for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer in his jaw, and had subsequently announced he was cancer-free when campaigning for the congressional seat.
Turner’s death shocked his colleagues in Congress, many of whom had seen him at the president’s address the previous evening. On Tuesday, a video posted on Turner’s X account appeared to show him in Washington, D.C., for the presidential address.
“The House Democratic Caucus expressed shock and sadness at the sudden passing of the newly elected congressman, acknowledging his long-standing commitment to serving the people of Houston,” reported KCCI.
Turner’s decades-long career in public service included nearly 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives before he became Houston’s mayor in 2016. As mayor of the nation’s fourth-largest city, he guided Houston through several significant challenges, including the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Turner had been Jackson Lee’s family’s preferred candidate to succeed her in representing the predominantly Democratic district, which includes much of inner-city Houston. He won the November 2024 election and was sworn into office in January 2025.
Following his death, Texas Governor Greg Abbott will call a special election to fill the now-vacant 18th congressional district seat. According to Fox26Houston, “The special election will be held on May 3, 2025, the next regularly scheduled election date. Candidates wishing to run for the seat must file an application for a spot on the ballot, and the winner must receive the majority of votes.”
Until a new representative is elected, the district offices will continue to provide constituent services under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Turner’s passing affects the balance of power in the closely divided House of Representatives. “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,” reported Courthouse News Service.
Turner’s congressional career was brief, lasting just two months after his January swearing-in ceremony. However, his public service career spanned over three decades, making him one of Houston’s most prominent political figures.
When Jackson Lee died in July 2024, Turner, still serving as Houston’s mayor at the time, paid tribute to her legacy. “Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also paid tribute to Jackson Lee, praising her work in underserved communities and her tireless efforts to serve the people of Houston,” according to Houston Public Media.
The 18th congressional district has been represented by several notable Democratic politicians throughout its history, including Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South. She was followed by Jackson Lee, who held the seat for nearly 30 years from 1995 until her death in 2024.
As news of Turner’s death spread, tributes began pouring in from colleagues across the political spectrum who recognized his decades of public service to Houston and Texas.
