Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner dies

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U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner died Tuesday evening, according to two sources who had been notified of the news.

The Houston Democrat was 70. He was two months into his first term representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, the seat long occupied by Turner’s political ally, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Turner said in 2022 that he had secretly been recovering from bone cancer and was now cancer-free.

Before joining Congress, Turner served as Houston mayor from 2016 to 2024. He served for 27 years in the Texas House.

This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune.

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