Sylvester Turner, Congressman and Former Houston Mayor, Dies at 70

The Houston City Council stood in recess until 10 a.m. in honor of the longtime public servant.

Then-Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks at a National Urban League event in Houston on July 28, 2023. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League

Former Houston mayor and current Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died at the age of 70, according to family and city officials who mourned his passing.

Turner’s death was announced by John Whitmire, the current Houston mayor, in a March 5 statement on social media.