Texas Congressman Sylvester Turner dies at 70 after medical emergency

US Representative Sylvester Turner, a Texas Democrat and former mayor of Houston, has died at the age of 70, just two months into his first term in Congress.

Turner suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday night following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, according to House Democratic lawmakers. He had previously battled bone cancer.

Turner was seen in distress early Tuesday afternoon in the underground tunnel connecting the Capitol and the Cannon Building, according to a Democratic lawmaker. Capitol Police were alerted and provided assistance.

Later that evening, Turner attended Trump’s joint address to Congress, with images showing him seated toward the back of the chamber. Several Democratic lawmakers spoke to him on the House floor before the event.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark confirmed his death during a closed-door Democratic meeting on Wednesday morning.

Turner was elected to Congress in November 2024 after serving as mayor of Houston for eight years. Before that, he spent more than 25 years in the Texas state legislature.

He won his congressional seat following the death of longtime Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a close ally, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in July 2024. Local Democratic leaders selected Turner to replace her on the November ballot, and he won the seat comfortably.

Turner was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2025. His passing leaves a vacancy in the Texas congressonal delegation, and Democratic leaders will now determine the process for filling his seat.