How long was Sylvester Turner the Houston Mayor? Texas Congressman dies after medical emergency at 70

Sylvester Turner, a congressman and former mayor of Houston, passed away on Wednesday, March 5, at the age of 70. In November, U.S. Representative Turner was elected to the 18th Congressional District of Texas. Prior to this, he was a state congressman from Texas for 27 years and mayor of Houston for 8 years, from 2015 to 2024.

As per Fox 26’s March 5 report, in a statement on Wednesday, his family stated:

"The Turner family is requesting fervent prayers from all who knew and loved him. We also request the public’s respect for our family's privacy as we process this difficult reality..”

They further added:

"Official communication will come from his staff at the appropriate time. Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant. But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling, and relative. Thank you for your prayers."

Sylvester Turner's cause of death wasn't revealed, however, he passed away at home on Wednesday at approximately 5:45 a.m. due to "enduring health complication". Reportedly, he was taken to the hospital a day before and was released.

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Exploring Sylvester Turner's career

After receiving 31% of the vote on the first ballot, Sylvester Turner narrowly defeated Bill King in a runoff to become the mayor of Houston in 2015. He held the position for 8 years and was re-elected in 2019.

In the 2023 Houston mayoral race, Sylvester Turner supported Sheila Jackson Lee as his nominee.

Meanwhile, in 2024, Jackson Lee had already won the Democratic primary for the seat at the time of her death in July from pancreatic cancer. The chairs of local Democratic precincts selected Sylvester Turner as the party's nominee.

After their mother passed away, Turner received support from Lee's children, Jason Lee and Erica Lee Carter. As per the same Fox report, they wrote in August:

"We have no doubt Mayor Turner will carry on our mother's legacy of service because we've witnessed it almost our entire lives. Our mother had no greater partner than Mayor Turner and he honors her with his willingness to dutifully and humbly serve as a sturdy bridge to the next generation of leadership for the historic 18th Congressional District of Texas.”

In January 2025, Turner assumed office after winning the election. He was a member of Congress for 60 days before passing away on March 5. Meanwhile, Turner's family stated in a statement on Wednesday that he was admitted to the hospital following his attendance at President Donald Trump's address to Congress. After that, he was discharged from the hospital.

Even though his cause of death is yet unknown, he had previously fought cancer. He disclosed in 2022 that he had been treated for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in his jaw.

On the other hand, as per the Fox report, at the Wednesday morning city council meeting, Houston Mayor John Whitmire also confirmed Turner's death. Whitmire said:

"This comes as a shock to everyone. I'm going to ask Houstonians to come together. Pray for his family. Join us in celebrating this remarkable public servant. Celebrate his life, which we will be doing.”

He continued:

“No one really knows how close Sylvester and I were.. We’ve been together in good times and bad times. He asked me to speak at his mother’s funeral. I was there when [his daughter] Ashley was born, he was there when [my children] Whitney and Sarah were born.”

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Sylvester Turner is survived by his family, including his daughter, Ashley Page Turner, and one grandson.