Longtime Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner dies at age 70

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner Dies at 70

By Sarah Grunau | Published: March 5, 2025, 9:17 AM (Updated: March 5, 2025, 9:28 PM)

HOUSTON – Sylvester Turner, longtime mayor of Houston and recently elected U.S. Congressman, has passed away at the age of 70 due to ongoing health complications.

Turner died at 5:45 a.m. in his Washington, D.C. home, just hours after attending President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, his family confirmed in a statement.

His passing comes only months after securing a victory in Texas' 18th Congressional District race. Turner left an indelible mark on Houston’s political landscape, serving as the city’s mayor for eight years following a 27-year tenure in the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented District 139 from 1989 to 2016.

“We have lost an exceptional leader,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire during a statement at City Hall on Wednesday. “Experience matters, folks. No one can truly fill Sylvester’s shoes because there was only one Sylvester Turner.”

A native of Houston, Turner was born in 1954 and raised in Acres Homes, a historically Black community. He graduated as valedictorian from Klein High School in 1973 before earning a political science degree from the University of Houston in 1977. He later attended Harvard Law School, embarking on a successful career as a corporate and commercial attorney.

In 2022, near the end of his mayoral term, Turner revealed he had been privately battling bone cancer. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma after a routine dental visit uncovered a tumor on his jaw, he continued his public service while undergoing treatment.

His legacy as a dedicated public servant and advocate for Houston will be remembered for generations.