Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who had served in Congress since 1995, has died.
Jackson Lee, who disclosed less than two months ago that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was 74.
Her family announced her death on Friday evening: “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.” Jackson Lee’s death was confirmed by Lillie Conley, her chief of staff.
Along with fellow Democrat Lloyd Doggett, she was the senior member of the current Texas delegation.
“As a powerful voice for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote on X in a statement that also saluted “her relentless determination.”
Jackson Lee was known as a strong advocate for women and minorities, serving proudly in the same Texas district once represented by Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman elected to Congress from the South since the Reconstruction era of the 19th century.
“Her unyielding zest for justice and fair play could never be suppressed,” said Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) in a statement. “She worked so hard for what she believed in and made all of us around her work just as hard. I will miss my buddy, who refused to let the world silence her voice.”
A vocal presence in the Congressional Black Caucus, Jackson Lee attempted to combat domestic violence through an expansion of the Violence Against Woman Act and worked to have Juneteenth recognized as federal holiday, which occurred in 2021.
The holiday marks the day (June 19) in 1865 that the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom, and it had long been celebrated in Texas.
In 2019, following in the footsteps of the late Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), she offered a proposal to study the idea of reparations for descendants of former slaves.
“We want to be responsive to all Americans and we know how diverse this country has become,” Jackson Lee said in an interview at the time. “We have consistently, as Democrats, wanted to say to the American people that we are for the people.”
That proposal, however, stalled.
In its obituary, the Texas Tribune noted how hard she had fought for Houston: “She often used her trademark chutzpah to fight for federal funds to be sent to Houston. In 2009, she secured $1 billion for the city’s light system after cornering then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ahead of then-President Barack Obama’s first joint address to Congress. She could reliably be found in the aisle ahead of the State of the Union address, among the few members to directly meet with the president on his way to the dais.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote on X: “She was an extraordinary advocate for her district and her values, and her impact and achievements will be long remembered.”
Fellow lawmakers in Texas saluted her legacy Friday night.
Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) wrote on X: “Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was a fierce advocate for Houston and her constituents. No one worked harder for her community and if Houston needed something, she got it done.”
In discussing her work on behalf of Houston, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) echoed Allred in his statement.
“It is with profound sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a devoted leader, a proud-fellow Houstonian, and someone who I was proud to call a friend,” Hunt said.
He added: “Although we had our political disagreements, there were many moments with her, both public and private, that showed me that bipartisanship and service to country first can still bring members of Congress together.”
Sen. Ted Cruz also noted her advocacy for her home city. The Texas Republican added on X: “I will always cherish our friendship & the laughs we shared throughout the years.”
A native of Queens, New York, who was born on Jan. 12, 1950, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale and earned her law degree at the University of Virginia.
She was a judge in Houston before she was elected to Houston City Council in 1989, then ran for Congress in 1994. That year, she ousted fellow Democrat Craig Washington, who had been chosen to replace the late Mickey Leland, but established, according to the Almanac of American Politics, “the worst attendance record in Congress.”
Jackson Lee routinely won reelection to Congress with ease. The few times she faced a challenger, she never carried less than two-thirds of the vote.
She was an advocate for gay rights and an early opponent of the Iraq War in 2003. Jackson Lee also could be counted on to chafe at Republican stances on numerous issues over the years. “First of all I’d like our Republican friends to stop a war on the working people of America,” she said in 2012 amid ongoing budget battles.
She attracted criticism of her own. The 2012 edition of the Almanac of American Politics, while saying “she is prolific in proposing bills and offering amendments on the floor,” noted that in the Washingtonian’s annual rating of lawmakers, “she has routinely taken top honors in the poll’s ‘Biggest Windbag’ category.” Part of what established that reputation was a lengthy speech she gave at a memorial service for music superstar Michael Jackson in Los Angeles in 2009.
In 2019, Jackson Lee stepped down from two leadership positions on the House Judiciary Committee and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the fundraising of the Congressional Black Caucus, following a lawsuit from a former employee who said her sexual assault complaint was mishandled. “Other Judiciary panel members were uncomfortable with the optics of having a lawmaker mired in a messy legal battle heading a panel with jurisdiction over crime,” POLITICO reported at the time.
Last year, she ran for mayor of Houston only to be defeated by Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire in a runoff in December.
At her election night party in December, Jackson Lee thanked her supporters, congratulated Whitmire and said she was committed to working with him. “It’s sweeter to be saying what a sweet victory it is. It’s equally as sweet to acknowledge we put up a good fight,” Jackson Lee said.
On June 2, Jackson Lee, who was seeking another term in Congress, announced that she was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease,” Jackson Lee said. “The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”
Pelosi concluded her statement Friday night by saying: “All of us in the House Democratic Caucus were blessed to know Congresswoman Jackson Lee and we will miss her dearly. May it be a comfort to her husband, Elwyn, her children, Jason and Erica, her grandchildren, Ellison and Roy, and the entire Lee family that so many in the Congress and across the country mourn their loss and are praying for them during this sad time.”
