Texas Congressman Sylvester Turner Dies at 70 After Attending Trump’s Address

The former Houston mayor and freshman lawmaker served just two months in Congress before his sudden passing from enduring health complications.

Sylvester Turner, a Democrat representing Texas' 18th Congressional District, passed away on March 5, 2025, at the age of 70, just two months into his first term in Congress.
Turner attended President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress the night before his death and posted a message advocating for Medicaid protection shortly before the event.
The cause of death has not been officially confirmed, though Turner had previously battled bone cancer and was declared cancer-free in 2022.
Turner served as Houston’s mayor for eight years, leading the city through significant challenges like Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic, and had a 27-year tenure in the Texas House of Representatives.
Governor Greg Abbott is expected to call a special election to fill Turner’s congressional seat, a Democratic stronghold previously held by Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away in 2024.