Former Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger Dead at 83

Former Republican Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas to serve in the U.S. House, has died at the age of 83.

Granger made history by being the first Republican woman from Texas to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, for which she served three decades. Her death comes nearly two years after she briefly disappeared from office before news broke that she had been placed in an assisted living facility for dementia patients.

House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed her as someone who “broke barriers for women in public service.”

“Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee,” he said.

Granger joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and served until 2024, when she declined to seek reelection due to health challenges. As Breitbart News reported at the time, Granger mysteriously had gone missing from office for several months until it was revealed she had been placed in an assisted living facility.

“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,” she said in a statement following the reports. “However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my incredible staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years.”

“In November, I was able to return to DC to hold meetings on behalf of my constituents, express my gratitude to my staff, and oversee the closure of my Washington office. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the city of Fort Worth — as a city council member, as mayor, and as a Member of Congress,” she added.

“Upon entering Congress, she was named to an advisory board that consulted then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich. She also received seats on three committees: Budget, House Oversight, and Transportation and Infrastructure. She resigned those assignments as part of accepting a seat on the Appropriations Committee.”