Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Democratic Congressman Sylvester Turner’s passing at the start of Wednesday’s city council meeting, according to WJLA Houston. Turner attended Rodeo Houston on Tuesday before being present in the House chamber that evening for President Donald Trump’s speech. Whitmire stated that Turner was taken to a hospital and passed away late Tuesday night. He was 70.

According to Fox 26 in Houston, Turner had been battling jaw cancer since before his election in November 2024.

Turner shared a last social media post that stated “My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: “Don’t mess with Medicaid.”

Let me be clear: any cuts to Medicaid are a direct attack on families like Angela Hernandez’s family. President Trump and Elon Musk’s push to gut Medicaid is nothing short of a betrayal of the most vulnerable among us. They are playing politics with children’s lives, and I… https://t.co/FFDHsObABy

— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) March 5, 2025

He brought a special constituent guest along and said “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.”

“Let me be clear: any cuts to Medicaid are a direct attack on families like Angela’s. President Trump and Elon Musk’s push to gut Medicaid is nothing short of a betrayal of the most vulnerable among us. They are playing politics with children’s lives, and I will not stand for it.”

He recently won the congressional seat previously held by the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away last year.

Like Turner, she also died while still in office.

Sylvester Turner was a dedicated public servant, attorney, and politician who served as the mayor of Houston before representing Texas as a U.S. congressman. Born on September 27, 1954, in Houston, Texas, Turner grew up in a working-class family and went on to study at the University of Houston before earning his law degree from Harvard Law School.

Turner began his political career in the Texas House of Representatives, where he served for nearly three decades, advocating for education, healthcare, and economic development. In 2015, he was elected as the 62nd mayor of Houston, a position he held for two terms. His tenure was marked by his leadership during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, where he played a crucial role in coordinating relief efforts and rebuilding the city. He also championed infrastructure improvements, economic growth, and initiatives to address homelessness.

In 2024, Turner transitioned to federal politics, winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite battling jaw cancer, as reported by Fox 26 in Houston, he remained committed to his duties. On the day of Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, Turner was present at the Capitol, as seen in videos he shared on social media.