Mayor Sylvester Turner

Elected in December 2015 and re-elected in December 2019, Sylvester Turner is serving his second four-year term as Houston’s mayor. Since taking office, Mayor Turner passed four balanced budgets; led the city’s remarkable rebound from Hurricane Harvey; expanded municipal investments in renewable energy; and led the winning bid to host the World Petroleum Congress in 2020. As the head of the energy capital of the world and the most diverse city in the nation, Mayor Turner brings a performance-driven approach to the job, creating a more responsive, streamlined and efficient delivery of city services while shoring up Houston’s financial future. Prior to his election as mayor, Turner served for 27 years in the Texas House as the representative for District 139. He worked on the House Appropriations Committee for 21 years and served as Speaker Pro Tem for three terms. As a life-long resident of Houston, Mayor Turner is passionate about his city and continues to live in the Acres Homes community where he grew up. He is a graduate of the University of Houston and earned a law degree from Harvard University. He began his law practice at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. and later founded the Barnes & Turner Law Firm.