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Representative Sylvester Turner, a Democrat from Texas, died on March 4, 2025, at the age of 70, shortly after Donald Trump‘s Congressional address took place. Turner was 70 years old and had just taken the oath of office to represent Texas’s 18th congressional district in January 2025.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacted to the news of his colleague’s death in a statement, which read, “The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Though he was newly elected to the Congress, Rep. Turner had a long and distinguished career in public service and spent decades fighting for the people of Houston. … Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end — he was present yesterday evening to ensure that the voice of one of his constituents, who relies on Medicaid, was heard. In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us ‘don’t mess with Medicaid.”
Learn more about Turner’s political career, health and death below.
Who Was Sylvester Turner?
Turner worked in politics for decades, having served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2016, which was when he assumed the position of Houston’s mayor. As a native of the city, Turner served as mayor before becoming a U.S. representative of Texas’s 18th congressional district.
The late Democrat is survived by his daughter, Ashley, whom he shared with ex-wife Cheryl Turner.
When Did Sylvester Turner Serve as Mayor?
Turner was the mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024. When his eight-year tenure as mayor ended in 2024, he announced his Democratic candidacy to fill the seat of the late Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who died in 2024.
How Did Sylvester Turner Die?
During the afternoon of March 4, 2025, Turner fell ill while he was working in the Cannon House Office Building but received medical attention, according to NBC News. The outlet reported that Capitol Police assisted the representative, and Turned was able to attend Trump’s address to Congress that evening. One unnamed Democrat claimed they noticed Turner experiencing a “medical emergency,” per NBC.
It’s still unclear what Turner’s medical emergency was.
Sylvester Turner’s Health
Roughly two years before the late representatives death, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of bone cancer in 2022. He underwent surgery to combat the condition in addition to several weeks of radiation treatment.
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