Key facts
- Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, died at age 83.
- Her son, J.D. Granger, confirmed her death was due to Alzheimer's disease.
- Granger served as the first female mayor of Fort Worth from 1991 to 1995.
- She represented Texas's 12th congressional district from 1997 until April 2024.
- Granger was the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee.
- She did not seek re-election in 2024, citing health challenges.
Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman from her party to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has died at age 83. Her son, J.D. Granger, confirmed her passing on Sunday, stating the cause was Alzheimer's disease.
Granger represented her Texas district from 1997 until April 2024 and had announced she would not seek re-election in 2024, citing unspecified health challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson lauded her as a trailblazer who broke barriers for women in public service, noting she was also the first female mayor of Fort Worth.
Born in 1943, Granger was a high school teacher and businesswoman before entering politics. She served as Fort Worth's first female mayor from 1991 to 1995, implementing programs credited with reducing crime and attracting businesses. She was elected to Congress in 1996 and served until her final months in Washington, casting her last vote in July 2024.
During her career, Granger was named to an advisory board by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and served on multiple committees before chairing the Appropriations Committee. She sought steeper non-defense spending cuts than agreed upon by then-President Joe Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Granger was initially a critic of Donald Trump but later endorsed him for re-election in 2020.