U.S. Congressman and longtime Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died at 70, United States representatives and sources confirmed on Wednesday.
The confirmation of Turner鈥檚 death came just months after he won . Turner stood as a pillar in the history of the state鈥檚 largest municipality, serving eight years as Houston鈥檚 mayor and 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives. He represented Texas District 139 from 1989 until 2016.
Turner was in attendance at President Donald Trump鈥檚 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, according .
鈥淲e鈥檝e lost an outstanding public official,鈥� Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in city hall on Wednesday. 鈥淓xperience matters folks. No one will be able to step into Sylvester鈥檚 shoes and carry on his duties because there鈥檚 only one Sylvester Turner.鈥�
A native Houstonian, Turner was born in 1954 and grew up in the suburbs of Acres Homes.
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.
鈥淚鈥檓 a better speaker because of Sylvester,鈥� Whitmire said on Wednesday. 鈥淵ou just can鈥檛 understand what it鈥檚 like to be in an African American 鈥� a Black church on Sunday morning with everyone enjoying the service and have to follow Sylvester Turner speaking. He will bring out the best in you in public service.鈥�
During his mayoral tenure, Turner garnered support in his campaign to address Houston鈥檚 potholes, infrastructure, public safety and flooding. Just into his first term, the mayor showed how ready he was to tackle what Houston had to offer.
City and state officials on Wednesday paid homage to Turner鈥檚 impacts.
鈥淚t is hard to put into words the loss of Congressman Sylvester Turner,鈥� Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement. 鈥淔or 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.鈥�
U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who represents the state鈥檚 7th Congressional District, said Turner personified what it meant to be a Houstonian.
鈥淚 am heartbroken and devastated by the loss of this exceptional Houstonian and exceptional human being,鈥� Fletcher said. 鈥淚n his presence you could always feel the love for the city that we call home and for all the people who live here.鈥�
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