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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner — a “fighter until the end” — died Wednesday in Washington. He was 70.

Turner was hospitalized after attending President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

• After the speech, he was admitted to the hospital and later released, according to Turner’s family. He died of “enduring health complications” at his home just before sunrise Wednesday, the family said.
• Turner was diagnosed with bone cancer around 2022, but was cleared within a few months.

What they’re saying: “Congressman Turner was the consummate public servant,” Turner’s family said in a statement. “But to us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, sibling and relative.”

Turner spent his last day alive advocating for the protection of Medicaid programs amid mounting federal cuts from the Trump administration.

• “Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end,” House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said.

During his short time in Congress, Turner sponsored bipartisan bills that would expand Medicaid coverage to those accused but not yet convicted of crimes and that would create a cybersecurity training program for Department of Homeland Security staff.

Flashback: Turner served as a Texas state legislator from 1989 to 2016, and then as mayor of Houston until 2024.

• After Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died last July, her daughter was elected to finish her term, but Turner won the regular election for the current 2025–26 term.

The big picture: Turner’s legacy in Houston includes reshaping Houston’s response to homelessness, which provided a model of a housing-first approach for cities nationwide.

• As mayor, he invested heavily in the city’s Vision Zero pledge to end traffic deaths, and he bolstered efforts to implement the Houston Bike Plan.

Mayor John Whitmire announced Turner’s death at Wednesday morning’s City Council meeting.

• “I’ve lost a personal friend, an adviser, and we’ve lost an outstanding public official,” Whitmire said.
• “No one will be able to stand in Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties, because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.”
• Whitmire ordered city flags to be flown at half-mast.

What’s next: Funeral plans have yet to be announced.

• Voters in the 18th Congressional District will choose Turner’s replacement during a special election in May.
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