Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, D-Texas, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee meeting on December 13, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
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Patrick Semansky/AP Pool
Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died. She was 74.
Lillie Conley, her chief of staff, confirmed that Jackson Lee, who had pancreatic cancer, died in Houston on Friday evening, surrounded by family.
The Democrat has represented the Houston district, the nation’s fourth-largest city, since 1995. She had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer and announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on June 2.
“The road ahead will not be easy, but I believe God will give me strength,” Jackson Lee said in a statement at the time.
Bishop James Dixon, a longtime friend in Houston who visited Jackson Lee earlier this week, said he will remember her as a warrior.
“She is just a rare gem, someone who constantly gives everything she has to make sure other people have what they need. That is Sheila,” he said.
Jackson Lee had just been elected to the Houston district previously represented by Barbara Jordan, the first black woman elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction, when she was immediately placed on the prestigious House Judiciary Committee in 1995.
“They just saw me, I guess through my record, through Barbara Jordan’s work,” Jackson Lee told the Houston Chronicle in 2022. “I think it was an honor because they thought I would be the person they needed.”
Jackson Lee quickly established herself as a strong advocate for women and minorities, and led House Democrats on a range of social justice issues, from police reform to reparations for descendants of slaves. She led the first rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act in nearly a decade, including protections for Native American, transgender, and immigrant women.
Jackson Lee is also one of the lawmakers leading an effort in 2021 to recognize Juneteenth as the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established in 1986. The holiday marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom.
A native of Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale University and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. She served as a judge in Houston before being elected to the Houston City Council in 1989 and then running for Congress in 1994. She is a supporter of gay rights and an opponent of the Iraq War in 2003.
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, speaks in support of Democratic gun control measures, known as the Protect Our Children Act, in response to mass shootings in Texas and New York, at the Capitol in Washington on June 2, 2022.
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Top Democrats in Congress reacted quickly to the news Friday night, praising her dedication and work ethic.
Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina called her “a steadfast advocate for civil rights and a tireless fighter for improving the lives of her constituents.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he has never known a more hardworking lawmaker than Jackson Lee, saying she “thoroughly studies every bill and every amendment, then tells Texas and America exactly where she stands.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California cited Jackson Lee’s “relentless determination” in declaring Juneteenth a national holiday.
“As a strong voice in Congress for the Constitution and human rights, she has fought tirelessly to promote fairness, equality, and justice for all,” Pelosi said.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said he and his wife Cecilia would always remember Jackson Lee, calling her a “tireless advocate for the people of Houston.”
“Her legacy of community service and dedication to Texas will live on,” he said.
Jackson Lee has often won re-election to Congress easily. In the few times she has faced an opponent, she has never won less than two-thirds of the vote. Jackson Lee considered running for re-election in 2023 to become Houston’s first black female mayor but was defeated in a runoff election. She then easily won the Democratic nomination for the 2024 general election.
During his mayoral campaign, Jackson Lee expressed regret and said “everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity” after an unverified audio recording allegedly of the lawmaker criticizing staff was released.
In 2019, Jackson Lee resigned from two leadership positions on the House Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus Fund, the fundraiser for the Congressional Black Caucus, following a lawsuit by a former staffer who said her sexual assault complaint was mishandled.
In a statement, Jackson Lee’s family said she was a beloved wife, sister, mother and grandmother known as Bebe.
“She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice and democracy,” the statement said. “God bless you, Congresswoman, and God bless the United States of America.”
