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HOUSTON (AP) — Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was picked Tuesday as the Democrats’ nominee to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died last month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Turner, 69, will appear on the November ballot after securing the most support from local Democratic precinct chairs during a party meeting in Houston. Jackson Lee had already won the Democratic nomination for what would have been a 16th term before her death on July 19, leaving party officials to select her replacement.
Turner left the mayor’s office in January after serving eight years, the most allowed by term limits. He was previously a longtime state lawmaker.
The House district in Houston is solidly Democratic. Turner will face Republican challenger Lana Centonze.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Bill Clinton were among those who paid tribute to Jackson Lee at her funeral this month. She was 74.