The city of Houston and its political leaders are mourning the sudden death of Sylvester Turner, the former mayor and current 18th District Congressman. He was 70.
Current Mayor John Whitmire said Turner was working in Washington, D.C., and was taken to the hospital when he passed later Tuesday night after attending Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Houston’s leaders expressed their condolences in his memory.
Rodney Ellis, Harris County Commissioner
“My sincere condolences to Ashley and the Turner family. Houston mourns the loss of our servant leader, proud native son, dedicated father and dear friend.
“Thank you, Sylvester Turner for all you gave of yourself to serve Houston, Texas, and this nation. We the People are all better off because you chose to dedicate yourself to a life of public service. You also advanced the continuous struggle to make this nation as good as its promise of freedom and justice for all.”
Ron Reynolds, State Representative District 27
“It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the passing of my dear friend, mentor and trailblazer, U.S.
Congressman Sylvester Turner. His legacy of service, leadership and unwavering commitment to the people of Houston, the state of Texas, and our nation will never be forgotten.
“Sylvester Turner was more than a public servant—he was a force for change, a champion for those without a voice and a guiding light in the fight for justice and equity. From his years in the Texas House of Representatives to his transformative tenure as Mayor of Houston and his service in Congress, he dedicated his life to uplifting communities and making a lasting impact on the lives of those he served.
“As a fellow legislator and fraternity brother in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., I had the privilege of working alongside him and witnessing firsthand his passion, brilliance and deep love for public service. His leadership inspired countless individuals, including myself, to continue the work of building a more just and inclusive society.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, members of The Church Without Walls, and all who had the honor of knowing and working with him. His impact will live on through the lives he touched and the progress he championed. Rest in power, my brother.”
Houston Mayor John Whitmire
“This comes as a shock to everyone. I would ask Houstonians to come together, pray for his family, join us in celebrating this remarkable public servant and celebrate his life, which we will be doing.
“No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner growing up in Acres Home in poverty. He was so proud of his family, his mother being a housekeeper at the Rice Hotel, his father a laborer, a two-bedroom house.
“We’ve been together in good times and bad times. He asked me to speak at his mother’s funeral. I was there when Ashley was born. He was there when Whitney and Sarah were born.
“It is a personal loss for me. It’s a loss for the city. And the reason no one knows how close we are is the mean politics of our system. We never took our disagreements personally…he was a public servant right up till he took his last breath.”
Martha Castex-Tatum, District K Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem
“Today is a very sad day for us in Houston. Many of us are heartbroken by the news of Mayor Sylvester Turner, now Congressman Sylvester Turner. He was an incredible public servant. We will remember working alongside him. We had a lot of happy memories. His legacy will be that he was a public servant to his heart. He was a good man. He leaned in on his faith on those really bad days and even our good days, and, we will definitely miss him. Houston will not be the same knowing that Mayor Turner now, Congressman Turner is no longer with us, but his legacy will live on forever.
“What I love about Mayor Turner now Congressman Turner, is that he was the type of leader that didn’t look for followers. He wanted more leaders, and he definitely was a mentor, a sponsor, a good friend, and it’s a tremendous loss for us all.
“I’m so glad that the 18th Congressional district will hold his name too. It’s a district that has some giants on the roster and Sylvester Turner will also be on that roster.
“Many of us sat at this desk and Mayor Turner would go to chemo and then he would come here and he would govern the city…Because he took his public service so seriously. We watched him toil. He leaned in on his faith, which I love to see…May he rest the peace.”
Amy Peck, District A Council Member and Vice Mayor Pro Tem
“We both knew that we were working for what was best for our constituents, and I always appreciated that about him. He definitely did not make my first term in office easy at all. He gave me a hard time about my budget amendments among other things. But in a lot of ways, he made me better as a council member because he didn’t just always say yes to everything we asked for in District A…It was super frustrating sometimes considering he was a district A constituent. But he really made us work for what we were getting in district A.
“In a lot of ways that made a better council member…He and I always had an ongoing joke where I would give him little reminders about all the projects in District A that we needed funding for.
“When he won his congressional seat, I sent him a message and said that now he can give us the federal funding for all of those projects…the two things I will remember most about him first is how amazing of a speaker he was. We didn’t always agree with what he said, but sometimes he almost convinced me with how well he said it. Um, and I know he said everything so well because of his action for Houston, which is the other thing I’ll remember most about him is just how much he cared about the city of Houston.”
Julian Ramirez, At-Large Position 1 Council Member
“I offer my condolences to the family of Congressmen, Mayor, Representative, Sylvester Turner, and especially to those who are grieving at his passing. I know he touched many, many lives and a number of you on the council. He was a mentor, a father figure, and someone who greatly touched you a lot. So today, I’m one with you.
Willie Davis, At-Large Position 2 Council Member
Davis said in a prayer, “We pray now God that you can strengthen us for the rest of this day that we have, that we will lay aside every weight, whether the physical weight or political weight, lay it all aside. All of our differences, even those things that we may not always agree on. Today is about a servant who served us well.”
“I certainly just wanted to give my condolences as well. I’ve known Sylvester for many years prior to my serving on this council.
I’ve known him in many aspects. We’ve been involved much in my first church I served…Today, we certainly give our condolences…We are certainly saddened, but we will move on…and God will bless us all and be thankful for him.”
Twila Carter, At-Large Position 3 Council Member
“I didn’t have the opportunity to serve with Mayor Turner, I certainly worked on the other side from the private sector during Harvey. We worked together quite a bit and I affectionately referred to him as ‘S.T.’ and he always laughed. Probably one of my fondest memories…he would come to our Astros gala and he and I were both great fans of Diana Ross. There’s actually a great video out there of the two of us singing. He was a lot of fun. He was very serious about his work. He was a great public servant and certainly while we didn’t always agree, we would kind of have these text battles back and forth…He was focused on making the city a better place, making the state a better place. My condolences to his family and friends.
Letitia Plummer, At-Large Position 4 Council Member
“I am deeply sorry to hear about the passing of former Houston Mayor and current Representative for District 18, Sylvester Turner. His leadership and dedication to public service left a lasting impression on Houston.
“His passion for uplifting others and ensuring a brighter future for Houston made him a remarkable leader. The loss of such a devoted leader is heartbreaking. His legacy of perseverance and advocacy will not be forgotten.
“My thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who were touched by his work. We have lost an exceptional leader, but his impact will live on in the lives he changed and the progress he championed. It was an honor to serve with him. May he rest in power.”
Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, District D Council Member
“This is a tremendous loss. It was very, very shocking for me to hear the news, but this is a person who just magnified public service. He is someone who was personable, who talked to people. He pressed the flesh, he listened to them, he listened to me. I used to text him…and he would actually read my texts and respond, but I’m glad that I had the opportunity to know him and work with him. I would share with him, ‘Mayor, I love you.’ And he would respond. He is someone who not only was a family man, he was a person who served his community and lived in this community, which I think is very important. He served the city and he served the state and the national government. I think he was the very best person for the job. I’m glad he got the opportunity to become the congressman.
“He helped my family tremendously. My brother was terminally ill, and so I asked him for his help to get him into a medical facility that could help him have quality of life, and he did that.
“We had so many laughs…There were some things that we did not agree on. In particular, were those bike lanes in my community…., but for the most part, we agreed. I just can’t equate to you how tremendous this loss is. Not just for me, but for this entire country.”
Abby Kamin, District C Council Member
“The test of true leaders is not what things are easy. It’s when one rises to meet unprecedented challenges. And despite the fact that Congressman Turner served our city under more federally declared disasters in Houston than years he served. Despite whatever came his way, he not only led our city, but united it. He’s not known for those events, he’s known for how much we accomplished despite them. Many of us are heartbroken at the passing of Congressman Turner. And my heart goes out to his daughter, Ashley, his grandson, and his entire family. This is a man who gave his life for our city, his love of Houston and gave his life for our country. May his memory forever be a blessing and a legacy for all of those who love him.”
Tarsha Jackson, District B Council Member
“I echo my colleagues in sending my condolences to Congressman Turner, Mayor Turner’s family. He was my state representative. I met him back in 2003 when I started advocating for my son. The passion that he showed as I advocated for my son when I first came into the movement. He showed that same passion when I became a council member. We’ve been able to get a lot accomplished in District B under his leadership from flood mitigation projects to upgrading our parks, projects that the community has been asking for quite some time.
“District B, keep your head up. I know he was family. He always showed up for our residents, and district being across the city, he would be deeply missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”
Mario Castillo, District H Council Member
“It was just a few weeks ago that he was in the Independence Heights community at one of my town halls to advocate for the Independence Heights phase two affordable housing project, shortly after that project moved forward without delay as intended. That he played a huge role in seeing that through the community is going to benefit from that from years to come. That’s one example of many of how he impacted the State House district, the city and the congressional district that he represented throughout his career. This is a big loss for the city.”
Tiffany D. Thomas, District F Council Member
“I am heartbroken. He served the city. He loved what he did and who he did it for. For me, I know what I’m losing, but my heart goes to his family. I just talked to him days ago. I will miss his collaboration. I will miss my friend. He’s helped on the west side of town for decades. I will miss his laughter, his funny jokes. He was a political cover for me…This is hard for me, hard for a lot of people.”
Dr. Carla L. Wyatt, Harris County Treasurer
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of “OUR” Mayor, State Representative, Congressman, and Friend Sylvester Turner. Whenever he came to attend community events, he always had a kind word filled with passion, purpose, and encouragement for me. His leadership opened the doors for community members to improve their neighborhoods by lifting every voice. As he inspired a new generation of leaders to pursue civic engagement through public service he always remembered to push and pull the people with him. I am truly blessed for having a mentor who was a guiding light that inspired me to actively participate in civic engagement, public service to my community, and leadership through collaboration – keeping his LEGACY ALIVE.”
Edward Pollard, District J Council Member
“Sad, sad morning for the city of Houston. A sad morning for our country. My deepest condolences to his daughter Ashley, her husband, Jimmy, former wife, Cheryl, and the entire family….Regardless if you agree with him or not on some of his ideology, you could not deny that he was not only a giant of a man, he was a huge figure within the city.
“He was a huge influence for me…I remember in high school, I used to go up to his law firm, which was there on Louisiana on one of the higher up floors. And I couldn’t believe that there was a lawyer who was African American who was able to get to this level of success. He helped pay for my law school prep classes. He got me my first internship with the county attorney Vince Ryan’s office. As a politician when serving in the House, he was on the conference committee. He was the vice chair of appropriations. He was a speaker pro tem in a Republican-controlled legislature, not only as a Democrat but as a Black man. That was beyond impressive. And to see how he led the city, through many challenges as mayor, natural disasters, winter storms, the pandemic. He was at the right place at the right time to lead when we needed him most. And as a Congressperson, uh, he never stopped serving his community, never stopped serving his city. And he was a public official until his final breath. And he went out on his own terms.
“We were all better for knowing him. Our city is better for him being in leadership and let us all continue to do the work that he would want us to do to forward his legacy.”
Warren Fitzgerald Muhammad, Acres Homes Chamber for Business and Economic Development CEO and Board Chairman
“The Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development, Inc. mourns the loss of Sylvester Turner, a steadfast leader and pillar of the Acres Home community as a State Representative for our District and later as Mayor of the City of Houston and ultimately as United States Congressman, succeeding The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee. He played an instrumental role as a founding member of our organization along with Roy Douglas Malonson more than 36 years ago. Community leader Beulah Shephard (after whom our building is named), tabbed the young lawyer as an upcoming leader and supported his runs for office. Through the decades, he remained deeply committed to the Acres Home community and was proud to say he was from the 44. Turner supported the mission of the Acres Home Chamber, continuously supporting our efforts to uplift and empower this community. His leadership, dedication, and unwavering advocacy will be profoundly missed, but his legacy will forever live on in the work we continue to do.”
