
Sylvester Turner (27 September 1954-) was the Democratic Mayor of Houston from 2 January 2016 to 1 January 2024 (succeeding Annise Parker and preceding John Whitmire) and a member of the US House of Representatives (D-TX 18) from 3 January 2025 (succeeding Erica Lee Carter). He was valedictorian at his high school before practicing law and serving in the state house from 1989 to 2016, as mayor of Houston, and in Congress.