Black Congressman Sylvester Turner Dies After Attending Trump’s State of the Union Address

Nationwide — Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner, who was also the former mayor of Houston, Texas, has died at 70 years old, just two months after joining Congress. He was hospitalized right after attending President Donald Trump’s address and was later pronounced dead.

Current Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed the news during a city council meeting on March 5th. “This comes as a shock to everyone,” said Whitmire, according to People. “I would 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.”

Turner’s cause of death remains unknown, though he had been battling bone cancer since 2022 and underwent surgery and radiation treatment.

Before joining Congress, Turner served as Houston’s mayor from 2016 to 2024, leading the city through major crises like Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. He was elected to represent Texas’s 18th congressional district in November 2024 after the death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Born and raised in Houston, Turner attended the University of Houston before earning a law degree from Harvard. He is survived by his daughter, Ashley Page Turner, and a grandson.