U.S. Congressman and longtime former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died from enduring health complications. He was 70.
Turner died at 5:45 a.m. Wednesday after attending President Donald Trumps address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, his family said in a statement.
Turners death came just months after he won Texas 18th Congressional District race. He stood as a pillar in the history of the states largest municipality, serving eight years as Houstons mayor after 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives. He represented Texas District 139 from 1989 until 2016.
A native Houstonian, Turner was born in 1954 and grew up in Acres Homes, a predominantly Black suburb.
He graduated as valedictorian from Klein High School in 1973 and earned a political science degree from the University of Houston in 1977. He attended Harvard Law School and started a career as an attorney specializing in corporate and commercial law.
In the final stretch of his mayoral tenure in 2022, Turner announced he had been quietly battling bone cancer. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after doctors discovered a tumor on his jaw during a dental visit when he complained of a toothache.
Turner declared himself cancer free at the end of 2022.
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During his mayoral terms, Turner garnered support in his campaign to address Houstons potholes, infrastructure, public safety and flooding. Just into his first term, the mayor showed his preparation to tackle what Houston had to offer.
His tenure was marked by his efforts leading the city through several federally declared natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and later the COVID-19 pandemic. He championed a gun buyback initiative and worked to address Houstons lingering transportation issues as mayor, working to expand access for pedestrians and cyclists and adopting the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative.
As mayor, Sylvester Turner presided over a remarkable period in which miles upon miles of Houston streets were reimagined to prioritize safety over speed, a bold act for any American mayor, but especially for the mayor of an historically car-dependent city with deep ties to the petroleum industry, said Joe Cutrufo, the executive director of the nonprofit BikeHouston.
While our union had a deeply contentious relationship with him, and his decisions had a profound impact on Houston firefighters, we also recognize his decades of service to the city and the country, the association said in a statement.
Last year, Turner stepped out of his brief retirement to enter a head-to-head race to fill the late Sheila Jackson Lees congressional seat. Upon announcing he would seek to take up her seat, Turner said only Jackson Lees death at a critical moment in the election cycle could bring him out of retirement.
Turners campaign platform for the congressional seat focused on police accountability and his efforts to keep federal resources flowing to address hurricane recovery and cancer clusters in Houstons Fifth Ward.
Turner, a Democrat, also aimed to pass strong reforms to end a gun violence epidemic, reduce inequality in public schools and address rising prices and the high cost of living.
On Wednesday, several city and state officials paid homage to Turners lasting impacts.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at the Houston Travel Fest opening ceremony on September 29, 2023.
It is hard to put into words the loss of Congressman Sylvester Turner, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement. For nearly four decades, he devoted his life to public service, standing as a pillar of strength, wisdom and unwavering commitment to Houstonians, residents of the 18th Congressional District, and all Texans.
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, who represents the states 7th Congressional District, said Turner personified what it meant to be a Houstonian.
I am heartbroken and devastated by the loss of this exceptional Houstonian and exceptional human being, Fletcher said. In his presence you could always feel the love for the city that we call home and for all the people who live here.
Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones called Turners passing a tremendous loss to the community and country.
Congressman Turner was a transformational leader whose presence was felt in every neighborhood he represented, whose career carried the hopes of his community, and whose legacy will resonate for generations, Briones said. He loved to remind us that in Houston.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said Turner was Houston through and through.
The community lost an irreplaceable leader, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.
I am devastated and shocked by the passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner, who was my governing partner and friend, Hidalgo said. We often talked about how wonderful it was that a kid from Acres Homes and an immigrant kid could become the mayor and the county executive of communities as larges as Houston and Harris County.
We mourned the passing of Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee together, and we also enjoyed rodeos and celebrated Astros wins together, Hidalgo added. I loved him and I appreciated him.
