Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-T.X., died unexpectedly Tuesday night after he was rushed to the hospital in Washington, D.C. following President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress, according to multiple reports.
Turner, who replaced the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, was 70.
News surrounding the shocking death of Turner came after Turner was in attendance at Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress last night.
Prior to Trump’s speech, Turner posted a video to his social media showing a video showing him well and standing with his guest for the night, Angela Hernandez, outside of his office.
“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 disorder Chromosome 8p: Inversion/Duplication/Deletion,” Turner posted.
My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: “Don’t mess with Medicaid.”
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
According to Houston-area CBS News affiliate KHOU, Turner was rushed to the hospital shortly after leaving Trump’s speech.
The Houston Chronicle broke the news of Turner’s death.
Rep. Randy Weber, R-T.X., mourned the death of his colleague, saying he spoke to Turner just hours ago “on the House floor.”
Brenda Gail and I are heartbroken by the passing of my friend Sylvester Turner. We served together in the Texas House, and I had the honor of working alongside him in Congress, even if only for a short time.
He was a devoted public servant who cared deeply for Houstonians. Just… https://t.co/A14RBS41WG
— Randy Weber (@TXRandy14) March 5, 2025
“Brenda Gail and I are heartbroken by the passing of my friend Sylvester Turner,” said Weber. “We served together in the Texas House, and I had the honor of working alongside him in Congress, even if only for a short time. He was a devoted public servant who cared deeply for Houstonians. Just last night, we spoke on the House Floor—life is too short. We are praying for his family, friends, and all who are mourning his passing.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., released the following statement today.
“As the Representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, Sylvester followed in the hallowed footsteps of trailblazers like the great Barbara Jordan and our late sister, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. We all stand on the shoulders of these incredible giants and join Texans in mourning the tremendous loss of another iconic leader. Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end – he was present yesterday evening to ensure that the voice of one of his constituents, who relies on Medicaid, was heard. In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us ‘don’t mess with Medicaid,'” Jeffries wrote.
The cause of Turner’s sudden death remains unknown at the time of this story’s publication. Prior to serving in Congress, Turner had battled some serious health issues.
In 2022, Turner revealed to The Houston Chronicle that he was battling bone cancer and was undergoing treatment.
Turner said he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after visiting the dentist for a root canal, which led to doctors taking a biopsy of his jaw. Turner underwent surgery where doctors replaced a portion of his jaw with bone from his leg, the Houston Chronicle reported.
He also “went through radiation for six weeks” in 2022, and said that it was “every single morning, Monday through Friday.”
Turner, who also served as mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024, won the election for Texas’ 18th district in November, the seat formerly held by Rep. Jackson Lee, who died in office last July.
Before serving as mayor, Turner served as a Texas state representative for 27 years.