Sylvester Turner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvester Turner
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Official portrait, 2025
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th district |
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| In office January 3, 2025 – March 5, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Erica Lee Carter |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| 62nd Mayor of Houston | |
| In office January 2, 2016 – January 1, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Annise Parker |
| Succeeded by | John Whitmire |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 139th district |
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| In office January 10, 1989 – January 2, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Clint Hackney |
| Succeeded by | Jarvis Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1954 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 2025 (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Gillum
(m. 1983; div. 1991) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Houston (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Sylvester Turner (September 27, 1954 – March 5, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. representative for the 18th district of Texas from January 2025 until his death in March 2025.
A member of the Democratic Party, Turner was also the 62nd mayor of Houston. He held this position from 2016 to 2024. Before that, he served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2016.
Turner was born and grew up in Houston. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston. Later, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He ran for mayor of Houston twice before winning.
In 2015, Turner won the election to become mayor of Houston. It was a very close race. He won his second term as mayor in 2019. In 2024, he decided to run for Congress after Sheila Jackson Lee passed away. He won the election and became a U.S. Representative in January 2025. He served for 61 days, which is one of the shortest terms in congressional history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sylvester Turner was born on September 27, 1954, in Houston, Texas. He was the sixth of nine children. His father was a painter, and his mother worked as a maid. He grew up in the Acres Homes community in northwest Houston.
When Turner was 13, his father passed away. His mother's hard work and positive attitude greatly influenced him.
Turner went to Klein High School. At that time, it was mostly a white school. Black students, including Turner, were bused there as part of efforts to end segregation. Turner was an excellent student. He was student body president and a debate champion. He graduated as the top student in his class.
He then attended the University of Houston. He was Speaker of the Student Senate. In 1976, he graduated with high honors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
Turner wanted to be a lawyer from a young age. He was inspired by the TV show Perry Mason. He went on to Harvard Law School. He graduated with a law degree in 1980.
Legal Career
After law school, Turner joined a law firm. In 1983, he started his own law firm, Barnes & Turner, with Barry M. Barnes. Turner focused on corporate and commercial law. He also worked as an immigration lawyer for many years in Houston.
He taught law as a professor at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He also gave lectures at other law schools.
Political Journey
In 1984, Turner first ran for a political office in Harris County. He did not win that election. Four years later, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He represented House District 139 in Harris County. He served in this role until 2014. During this time, he also ran for mayor of Houston in 1991 and 2003, but he was not successful.
During his 1991 campaign for Houston mayor, a TV station, KTRK-TV, aired a report. The report questioned Turner's involvement in a complex situation. Turner felt the report was unfair and sued the TV station. He initially won a large amount of money in court. However, the decision was later overturned by higher courts. The courts found that the TV broadcasts were false and damaging. But they also said Turner did not prove the station acted with bad intentions. This is a higher standard for public figures.
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Turner served over 25 years in the Texas House of Representatives. He held many important roles. He was a member of the Legislative Budget Board. He was also Vice-Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He chaired the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
He supported policies to bring doctors to areas that needed them. He also worked to increase funding for mental health services. He helped get more money for legal help for people who could not afford it.
In 2015, Turner was elected Mayor of Houston. He won by a small margin. He was re-elected in 2019. He served as mayor for eight years.
In October 2017, Mayor Turner helped people affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
When his time as mayor ended in January 2024, the city of Houston was facing financial challenges. In 2023, Turner supported Sheila Jackson Lee to be the next mayor. However, she lost the election.
After Sheila Jackson Lee passed away, her congressional seat became open. Turner decided to run for it. He won the election and became a U.S. Representative in January 2025. He served for about two months before his death.
Hurricane Harvey Response
After Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Turner was criticized for not telling people to evacuate. He explained that it would be very difficult to evacuate 6.5 million people. He remembered the traffic and deaths during the 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation. Critics suggested that even if not everyone, at least tens of thousands in flood zones or those most at risk could have been evacuated.
Political Views
Ride-Sharing Apps
In 2016, Turner supported stricter rules for ride-sharing services like Uber.
Protecting Consumers
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In 1999, Turner voted to change the electric utility industry in Texas. This allowed customers to have more choices. He also worked to protect Texans from high utility costs. He voted for bills that stopped gas companies from cutting service during cold weather. He also limited how much utility companies could raise rates without approval.
He wrote a law to stop electricity companies from charging "minimum usage fees." These fees were for customers who used too little electricity. He also helped extend a discount program for low-income Texans. This program helped reduce their monthly electric bills.
Public Education
In 2004, Turner voted against a measure that would have reduced benefits for future public school employees. He also spoke out against investment managers who received large bonuses from the Teachers Retirement Fund. This happened while the state was cutting money for education.
In 2011, Turner voted against a plan to cut education funding by 6 percent across Texas. He also opposed a corporate tax break. Many believed this tax break would harm public school funding.
Immigration
Texas has laws against "sanctuary cities." But as Mayor, Turner stated that Houston would not help ICE agents with immigration raids.
Health Care
Turner supported the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). He voted against alternatives to the ACA. He also introduced laws to expand Medicaid in Texas. Medicaid helps provide health care for low-income individuals.
One of his big achievements was a law that expanded access to the children's health insurance program in 2007. He also passed a law in 2015. This law helped free up money for medical trauma care centers. These centers treat serious injuries.
Turner often attended public health programs. He helped with COVID-19 safety efforts and community health care.
Homelessness
As mayor, Turner aimed to end long-term homelessness in Houston. He asked the police to enforce a rule that banned sharing food with homeless people. As a result, a volunteer group called Food Not Bombs received many tickets for giving food to homeless people. Each ticket could lead to a large fine.
Political Endorsements
In February 2020, Turner supported Michael Bloomberg for president. When Bloomberg stopped his campaign, Turner then supported Joe Biden.
Personal Life
Sylvester Turner was married to Cheryl Gillum from 1983 to 1991. They had one daughter, Ashley Page Turner.
As mayor, Turner hosted the opening ceremonies of Anime Matsuri, a big anime convention. He even dressed up in anime cosplay as characters like Goku from Dragon Ball and Luffy from One Piece.
Illness and Passing
In November 2022, Turner shared that he had been diagnosed with bone cancer. He had surgery and radiation treatment for it.
On March 4, 2025, Turner felt unwell while working. After getting medical help, he still attended President Donald Trump's speech to Congress that evening. He was briefly hospitalized later. He passed away at his home in Washington, D.C., early on March 5, at age 70.
He was the only member of the 119th Congress to pass away while in office. He was also the second representative for Texas's 18th district to pass away in a year.
Houston's mayor, John Whitmire, honored Turner. He ordered flags in Houston to fly at half-staff. Texas Governor Greg Abbott also ordered flags across the state to be lowered in Turner's memory.
Images for kids
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Sylvester Turner's signature.
See also
In Spanish: Sylvester Turner para niños
