(AURN News) — Former Congresswoman Erica Lee Carter, daughter of the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who was a political legend, is paying tribute to Congressman Sylvester Turner, who died peacefully Wednesday at age 70, according to his office.
“Congressman Sylvester Turner was more than a public servant- he was a man of God and quintessential Houstonian who loved our City more than anyone I know,” Carter said in a statement to AURN News. “He stood and fought for all people to have access to their American dream.”
Carter briefly represented Texas’s 18th Congressional District following her mother’s death in 2024, before Turner assumed the seat in January. The position has now seen three representatives in little more than a year, marking a period of significant transition for the Houston district.
“On a personal note, he was kind and a true friend to our family including my mother, the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, father Elwyn, Jason and myself,” Carter continued. “We will forever cherish the times we shared. And, we remain committed to the values that he held so dear.”
The connection between Turner and the Lee-Carter family runs deep in Houston politics. Turner had been in attendance at President Donald Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress just one day before his death.
Turner previously served as Houston’s 62nd mayor.
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