Sylvester Turner wins in Texas' 18th Congressional District

HOUSTON - Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner will soon become United States Rep. Turner after defeating Republican Lana Centonze Tuesday night, the Associated Press projects.

Turner will take over the seat formerly held by late-Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died of pancreatic cancer in July.

Jackson Lee had already won the Democratic primary for the seat at the time of her death.

Turner was chosen to be the party's nominee by local Democratic precinct chairs.

Lee's children, Jason Lee and Erica Lee Carter, endorsed Turner following their mother's death.

"We have no doubt Mayor Turner will carry on our mother's legacy of service because we've witnessed it almost our entire lives. Our mother had no greater partner than Mayor Turner and he honors her with his willingness to dutifully and humbly serve as a sturdy bridge to the next generation of leadership for the historic 18th Congressional District of Texas," they wrote in August.

Turner served as the mayor of Houston for eight years after being elected in 2015, reaching his term limit. He was in office from Jan. 2, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2024.

He also announced in 2022 he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in his jaw during the summer. He had surgery and received six weeks of radiation treatment.