Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), the former Houston mayor who won a seat in Congress in November, succeeding the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D), died Tuesday night. He was 70.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) confirmed Turner’s death Wednesday morning.

“The House Democratic Caucus family is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner,” Jeffries 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.”

Turner was at the Capitol on Tuesday night for President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. The Texas Democrat

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