Former Houston mayor and current U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner has died at the age of 70, according to current Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
According to Turner’s family, the former mayor did attend President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. He was then taken to the hospital but was later released. Turner died at his home in D.C. early Wednesday morning from “enduring health complications.”
“Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant. But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling, and relative,” the family said in the statement.
Turner had also just made an appearance at the RodeoHouston Parade on Saturday morning.
Turner represented Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a historically significant seat once held by civil rights icons such as Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington and Sheila Jackson Lee. Following in their footsteps, Turner was committed to advancing the district’s legacy of justice, equity, and transformative public service.
A lifelong Houstonian, Turner was born and raised in the Acres Homes neighborhood. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Houston before obtaining a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. His legal career began at Fulbright & Jaworski, where he worked as a trial lawyer before co-founding Barnes & Turner, a prominent law firm specializing in commercial and personal injury litigation.
Turner served 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 139. A bipartisan leader, he spent 21 years on the House Appropriations Committee and six years as Speaker Pro Tem, playing a key role in shaping the state’s fiscal policy.
In 2015, Turner was elected the 62nd Mayor of Houston and was re-elected in 2019. His tenure was marked by significant challenges, including seven federally declared natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the city through complex pension reforms, reducing financial liabilities by billions, and championed initiatives to improve public safety, environmental sustainability, and economic opportunity.
