Houston, Texas — U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of Congress for 30 years, has died, the 74-year-old’s family announced Friday.

“Today, it is with incredible sadness at our loss but also deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, that we announce the passing of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas’s 18th Congressional District,” Jackson Lee’s family wrote. “A fierce advocate for the people, she was affectionately and simply called ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her nearly ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years.”

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Jackson Lee is the mother of Jason Lee, a senior advisor to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was a trailblazer in the truest sense of the word,” Mayor Johnson said in a statement. “She defined her career through her advocacy, fighting tirelessly to create a better future for all, and her passing is a tremendous loss to the people of Texas’ 18th Congressional District and our entire country. The First Lady, I, and my entire administration send our love and deepest condolences to my senior advisor, Jason Lee, and the family and loved ones of Rep. Jackson Lee during this difficult time.”

The lawmaker’s family said funeral arrangements are yet to be made.

Early last month, Jackson Lee announced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment, adding that she would be absent from time to time from her congressional duties.

“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to address my specific illnesses. The road ahead will not be easy, but I have faith that God will strengthen me,” Jackson Lee said in a June 2 statement.

Shortly afterward, a prayer and praise vigil was held in support of her fight. Jackson Lee’s family or office did not reveal whether her cancer was the cause of her death.

The Democrat’s office has boasted of her accomplishments since winning her seat in 1994, praising her for, among other things, establishing the federal holiday of Juneteenth and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

“But she has made the greatest impression on us as our beloved wife, sister, mother and Bebe (grandmother),” Jackson Lee’s representatives said.

Jackson Lee is survived by her husband Elwyn Lee and their two children.

Working in her last days

Just a week earlier, Jackson Lee advocated on behalf of CenterPoint Energy customers by calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the utility’s response to Hurricane Beryl.

Jackson Lee also needed only a few months to file for her 16th term in the U.S. House of Representatives after winning her Democratic primary.

The lawmaker was defeated last fall in her bid to become mayor of Houston, with the race narrowly won by the winner, John Whitmire.