Kay Granger, first Republican woman from Texas elected to US House, dies at 83

DALLAS, TEXAS: Former Rep Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the US House of Representatives and a pioneering figure in Texas politics, has died at the age of 83. Her son, JD Granger, confirmed her death on Sunday, August 3.

Granger represented North Texas in Congress for nearly three decades after first winning election in 1996.

During her career, she became Fort Worth's first female mayor and later the first Republican woman to chair the influential House Appropriations Committee, overseeing federal spending. She retired from Congress in January 2025, citing worsening health challenges. 

Kay Granger's historic political milestones

Granger built a political career marked by several milestones for women in public office. Before entering Congress, she became the first woman elected mayor of Fort Worth, serving from 1991 to 1995 after previously serving on the city's zoning commission and city council.

In 1996, she won election to the US House as the first Republican woman from Texas to do so.

After joining Congress, she served on the House Appropriations Committee, where she became known for her work on defense funding and support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in Fort Worth.

In 2023, she became the first Republican woman to chair the powerful committee. Before entering politics, Granger worked as an English literature and journalism teacher before building a successful insurance business after leaving the classroom.

Speaking about balancing work and family in a 2008 interview, she said, "I was a high school teacher with three children, a 2-year and 6-month-old twins, and my husband left. It's the reason I talk so much to working mothers ... you just fight your way through the day."

Mike Johnson, Ted Cruz honor Kay Granger

Tributes poured in from political leaders across Texas and Washington following news of her death. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Granger dedicated her life to public service and praised her record of breaking barriers.

"Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service," Johnson wrote on X, adding that she "was a dear friend who will be greatly missed."

Senator Ted Cruz also paid tribute, writing, "Kay lived a life of historic firsts. For nearly three decades, she championed North Texas, our Armed Forces, and a strong national defense."

Rep Craig Goldman, who succeeded Granger in Texas' 12th Congressional District, described her as "a legend," saying she transformed Fort Worth through decades of public service.

Granger announced in late 2024 that worsening health challenges had made travel to Washington increasingly difficult.

She stopped voting in Congress after July 2024 and retired at the end of her term in January 2025. Her family later said she had experienced dementia during her final year.