Texas Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner passed away on Tuesday night after being admitted to the hospital in our nation’s capital, not long after he attended the speech President Donald Trump delivered to the joint session of Congress. Turner was 70-years-old.
Mayor John Whitmire delivered the unfortunate news. Turner was the replacement for the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Man, that particular seat seems to be cursed or something. If you believe in that sort of thing. I just know I’d be hesitant to run for that district if I were in politics. Hopefully, a Republican will fill it and provide conservatives another MAGA positive voice.
“According to CBS News affiliate KHOU, Turner was in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress Tuesday night before he was taken to the hospital. The last social post from Turner was a video showing him standing with his guest for the night, Angela Hernandez, outside of his office,” The Daily Wire reported.
“I am proud to have Angela Hernandez here from our Congressional district as my guest. She is representing and advocating for her daughter Baislee Garcia who has a rare genetic disorder Chromosome 8p: Inversion/Duplication/Deletion,” Turner shared in a post.
My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: “Don’t mess with Medicaid.”
I am proud to have Angela Hernandez here from our Congressional district as my guest. She is representing and advocating for her daughter Baislee Garcia who has a rare genetic… pic.twitter.com/n9p49IXGHa
— U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner (@repsturner) March 5, 2025
As of this writing, the cause of Turner’s death has not been released, if it is known at all so soon after his death. The congressman recently revealed a diagnosis of osteosarcoma after a visit to the dentist for a routine root canal. A biopsy of his jaw was later taken by doctors.
He underwent surgery and doctors replaced a part of his jaw with bone taken from his leg. Turner also went through six weeks of radiation treatments in 2002, five days a week.
“Turner, who also served as mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024, won the election for Texas’ 18th district in November, the seat formerly held by Rep. Jackson Lee, who died in office last July. Before serving as mayor, Turner served as a Texas state representative for 27 years,” the article said.
Texas Republican Rep. Randy Weber, mourning the passing of his colleague, stated he had spoken with Turner just hours before his death “on the House floor.”
“Brenda Gail and I are heartbroken by the passing of my friend Sylvester Turner,” Weber commented. “We served together in the Texas House, and I had the honor of working alongside him in Congress, even if only for a short time. He was a devoted public servant who cared deeply for Houstonians. Just last night, we spoke on the House Floor—life is too short. We are praying for his family, friends, and all who are mourning his passing.”