Freshman Texas Congressman Dies Just Hours After Trump Speech to Congress
Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO via AP Images
A newly elected Texas congressman with just two months on the job has died — hours after President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday night. He was 70.
Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Democrat who served as mayor of Houston from 2016-2024, was elected to Congress in November to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
Turner’s death was confirmed Wednesday morning by his mayoral successor, John Whitmire, who made the grim announcement during a Houston city council meeting.
This morning, @houmayor John Whitmire announced the death of former mayor, Congressman SylvesterTurner.
“A remarkable public servant who impacted millions of people. He rose from poverty but never forgot where he came from. It is a terrible loss for the city and a personal loss… pic.twitter.com/YtVMp3tzim— City of Houston (@HoustonTX) March 5, 2025
“A remarkable public servant who impacted millions of people,” Whitmire said, according to KHOU. “He rose from poverty but never forgot where he came from. It is a terrible loss for the city and a personal loss for me. I ask Houstonians to celebrate his life.”
Ahead of Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress Tuesday night, Turner announced he was attending the speech with Angela Hernandez, a mom from his district who relies on Medicaid to help with the cost of her daughter’s care.
“My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: ‘Don’t mess with Medicaid,'” he said in one of final last X posts.
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
There will likely be a special election in Texas to determine who will replace Turner in Congress, CNN reported.
Watch above via CNN.
