U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee dead at 74

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas who was a prominent champion of African American and women’s rights during her nearly 30 years in Congress, has died, her family says. She was 74.

Jackson Lee, whose district includes large parts of Houston, announced in a statement on June 2 that she was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” her family said.

The statement added: “A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children.”

Jackson Lee was a municipal judge and served on the Houston City Council before she was elected to Congress in 1994. She was re-elected 14 times, most recently in 2022, and won the Democratic primary in March to run again later this year. In 2023, she lost a bid for mayor of Houston.

When Jackson Lee announced her cancer diagnosis, she acknowledged that “the road ahead” would not be easy, telling her constituents that serving them was one of her greatest honors.

“Your hopes and aspirations inspire my efforts on behalf of our community every day,” she wrote. “Please keep me and my family in your prayers as you have always done. Know that you will remain in mine. As always, God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”