Houston Mayor John Whitmire referred to former mayor Sylvester Turner as the "best he had to follow" as he welcomed those outside of City Hall Tuesday morning to pay their respects to the late congressman.

Turner died Wednesday in his Washington, D.C., apartment. He was 70. On Tuesday, Houston City Hall welcomed Turner for a final time to honor that legacy.

Mourners in Houston paid tribute to the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas as he lay in state at city hall Tuesday, part of a week of public events to honor the Democratic lawmaker and former mayor.