Kay Granger, who represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly three decades, died on Sunday at age 83, according to her son J.D. Granger. House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement characterizing her as someone who “broke barriers for women in public service” and described her as “a dear friend who will be greatly missed.”
Granger began her professional career as a high school English literature and journalism teacher in the Birdville school district for nine years before transitioning to business. Following a divorce, she established an insurance business that she operated successfully for more than two decades. She entered politics through local government, first serving on Fort Worth’s zoning commission and city council before becoming the city’s first female mayor, serving from 1991 to 1995. During her mayoral tenure, she implemented “Code: Blue” programs featuring citizen patrol initiatives and private sector partnerships that drew national attention for revitalizing the city’s economy and reducing crime.
In 1996, Granger was recruited by both major parties to run for the U.S. House and won as a Republican, becoming the first Republican woman from Texas elected to that chamber. Upon arriving in Congress, she initially served on the Budget, House Oversight, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees before moving to the Appropriations Committee. She focused on defense spending matters, particularly championing F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production in Fort Worth. When Republicans assumed control of the House in 2023, Granger became chair of the Appropriations Committee, where she advocated for deeper non-defense spending reductions than those negotiated between House leadership and the Biden administration.
Granger announced in December 2024 that she would not seek reelection, citing worsening health challenges that made frequent travel to Washington “both difficult and unpredictable” since early September of that year. She ceased voting in the chamber after July 2024 but did not provide specific details regarding her health situation.
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