The cause of death is unclear. Turner took office weeks ago, filling the seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner has died at 70. The Houston native had served 27 years in the Texas Legislature and eight years as his home city's mayor. He became representative for the 18th Congressional District after U.

Turner’s death comes two months into his first term representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, the seat long occupied by former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who also died in office last year amid a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The late U.S. representative died at the age of 70 after suffering from a ‘medical emergency,’ multiple outlets reported in March 2025.

A spokesperson for Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas says he has died just two months after taking office and hours after attending President Donald Trump's address before Congress

Sylvester Turner, a Democratic congressman and former mayor of Houston, has died at the age of 70. Turner died peacefully Wednesday, according to a statement from his congressional office. No cause of death was provided.

Former Mayor and U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner's funeral at The Church Without Walls will be held on Saturday, March 15, featuring a message by Pastor Ralph West and culminating more than a week of ceremonies.

Sylvester Turner became the 62nd mayor of Houston, leading the city from 2016 to 2024, before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2024.

The longtime public official and champion of Houston died Wednesday in Washington, D.C., from “enduring health complications,” his family said.