Originally appeared on E! Online
The House of Representatives is in mourning.
Rep. Sylvester Turner—a first-term democrat elected to represent Texas in November—died after suffering a medical emergency following President Donald Trump’s March 4 address to Congress, NBC News confirmed, citing two fellow House democrats. He was 70.
Turner, who was the mayor of Houston from 2016 until 2024, had attended the president’s speech and posted a video to X (formerly Twitter) 30 minutes before the address around 8:30pm ET introducing his guest for the event, Angela Hernandez, who was advocating for her sick daughter.
“My message to the current administration for tonight’s State of the Union: ‘Don’t mess with Medicaid,'” he wrote March 4. “Let me be clear: any cuts to Medicaid are a direct attack on families like Angela’s.”
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., shared the news of Turner’s passing with his colleagues during a closed-door meeting March , NBC News reported, citing a representative who had attended the meeting.
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The outlet also cited fellow Democratic officials who saw or spoke to Turner—a bone cancer survivor—at Trump’s address, while another Democrat said they witnessed the Texas representative having what appeared to be a medical emergency earlier that afternoon in the tunnel that connects the Capitol to the Cannon Building.
Following Turner’s death Greg Abbott must now call for a special election to replace him, which is a process that could take up to a few months
Amid the heartbreaking news, tributes from Turner’s colleagues across both parties poured in.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League
“The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “Though he was newly elected to the Congress, Rep. Turner had a long and distinguished career in public service and spent decades fighting for the people of Houston.”
“Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end—he was present yesterday evening to ensure that the voice of one of his constituents, who relies on Medicaid, was heard,” he continued. “In what would be his final message to his beloved constituents last night he reminded us ‘don’t mess with Medicaid.'”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also expressed his condolences following Turner’s sudden death.
“We’re saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner, who represented Texas’s 18th District,” he wrote on X. “He served his community faithfully, not only as a member of Congress, but as a former state legislator and a mayor of Houston. Our prayers are with his family and constituents as they mourn his loss.”
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