Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, aged 69, has been selected as the Democrats' nominee to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Jackson Lee, who sadly lost her battle with pancreatic cancer last month, had already secured the Democratic nomination for what would have been her 16th term before her untimely death on July 19.
Turner, a seasoned politician who served as Houston's mayor for eight years, the maximum allowed by term limits, emerged as the favored candidate after garnering the most support from local Democratic precinct chairs during a party meeting in Houston. Prior to his tenure as mayor, Turner had a successful career as a state lawmaker.
