U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, an outspoken advocate for African-American and women’s rights and a strong progressive voice within the Democratic Party, has died, her family posted on X late Friday.
Jackson Lee, from Texas, announced last month that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment. She was 74, according to US media.
“She was a fierce advocate for the people and was affectionately known by her constituents simply as ‘Congresswoman’ for her constant presence and contribution to their everyday lives for more than three decades,” her family said in a statement.
Rep. Jackson Lee, who represented parts of Houston, introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to make Juneteenth a federal holiday commemorating the end of legal slavery for black Americans.
The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of slaves in Texas that they had been freed two years earlier when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the American Civil War.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a conservative Republican, posted on X, “My wife Cecilia and I will never forget Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.”
“She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston, and her legacy of public service and commitment to Texas will live on,” Abbott said.
Jackson Lee has served in Congress since 1995. In March, she fended off an intraparty challenge from former congressional intern Amanda Edwards, winning 60% of the vote in her district and setting herself up to run for re-election in November.
She also banked on her tenure and popularity in her district to run for mayor of Houston in December, but lost to fellow Democrat and former state senator John Whitmire by a margin of 65% to about 35%.
Jackson Lee was one of a handful of members of the Congressional Black Caucus who were arrested in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2021 while protesting delays in passing legislation to protect voting rights.
She was demonstrating with other protesters outside Senator Hart’s office building at the time of her arrest.
“Any peaceful act of civil disobedience is valuable and inspires us all to do better,” said Jackson Lee, who lives in one of the toughest states in the country to vote. Said at that time.
Reuters contributed to this report.
