Representative Sylvester Turner Passes Away After Attending Trump’s Congressional Address

The House of Representatives is grieving the sudden loss of Representative Sylvester Turner, a first-term Democrat from Texas, who died at age 70 following a medical emergency shortly after President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on March 4, 2025. NBC News confirmed the news, citing two House Democrats.

Turner, who served as Houston’s mayor from 2016 to 2024 before his election to Congress in November 2024, had been present at the president’s speech. Just 30 minutes before the address began at 8:30 p.m. ET, he posted a video on X introducing his guest, Angela Hernandez, a mother advocating for her ill daughter. In his post, Turner issued a pointed message to the administration ahead of the State of the Union: “Don’t mess with Medicaid. Any cuts to Medicaid are a direct attack on families like Angela’s.”

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) broke the news of Turner’s death to colleagues during a closed-door meeting on March 5, according to NBC News, which cited a representative present at the gathering. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) released a statement expressing the caucus’s sorrow: “The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Though newly elected to Congress, Rep. Turner brought with him a long and distinguished career in public service, having fought tirelessly for Houston’s people over decades.”

Jeffries highlighted Turner’s dedication, noting, “Like those before him, Rep. Turner was a fighter until the end—he attended last night’s address to amplify the voice of a constituent reliant on Medicaid. In what became his final message, he reminded us: ‘Don’t mess with Medicaid.’”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also paid tribute to Turner on X: “We’re saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner, who represented Texas’s 18th District. He served his community with dedication, not only in Congress but as a former state legislator and Houston mayor. Our prayers are with his family and constituents during this time of mourning.”