U.S. Congressman and longtime Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has died at 70, United States representatives and sources confirmed on Wednesday.
The confirmation of Turner’s death came just months after he won Texas' 18th Congressional District race. He served as the city’s mayor for eight years and 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives.
Turner was in attendance at the U.S. president’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, according to his X account.
“We’ve lost an outstanding public official,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in city hall on Wednesday. “Experience matters folks. No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.”
“I’m a better speaker because of Sylvester,” Whitmire said. “You just can’t understand what it’s like to be in an African American — a Black church on Sunday morning with everyone enjoying the service and have to follow Sylvester Turner speaking. He will bring out the best in you in public service.”
During his mayoral tenure, Turner garnered support in his campaign to address Houston’s potholes, infrastructure, public safety and flooding. Just into his first term, the mayor showed how ready he was to tackle what Houston had to offer.