(NewsNation) — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who represented the Houston area since 1995, has died, her family said. She was 74.
“With incredible grief for our loss, yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheil Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” a statement from her family read.
“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,” the statement added.
“This is a tremendous loss,” wrote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on X. “Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee fought so hard throughout her life to make our country a better place for all. May her memory be a blessing.”
Less than two months ago, Jackson Lee said she was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease,” she said at the time. “The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”
She previously battled breast cancer and announced in 2012 that she was cancer-free.
Jackson Lee came to Congress in 1995 and faced a primary challenge just five times. In March, she defeated a former Houston City Council member in the Democratic primary. She ran for reelection after losing a 2023 race for mayor of Houston.
A native of the New York City borough of Queens, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale, and then the University of Virginia School of Law.
