Longtime Republican Congressional Stalwart Dead At 83

Former Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, has died at the age of 83.

Granger represented Texas’ 12th Congressional District for nearly three decades after first serving as mayor of Fort Worth, where she became the city’s first female mayor. During her 28 years in Congress, she rose to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, overseeing federal spending and becoming one of the most influential Republicans on Capitol Hill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) paid tribute to Granger on Sunday evening, calling her a “dear friend” and praising her lifetime of public service.

“Kay Granger devoted her life to serving her Fort Worth, Texas community — as a teacher and businesswoman, on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission and City Council, as Mayor, and in Congress for nearly three decades, where she also served as Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee,” Johnson wrote.

“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.”

“Kelly and I send our prayers to her family, loved ones, and the Fort Worth community as we remember her extraordinary life of service and lasting legacy,” he continued. “She was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.”

Born in Greenville, Texas, in 1943, Granger began her career as a teacher before entering public service after successfully organizing opposition to a proposed waste processing facility near her home. She went on to serve on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, the Fort Worth City Council, and as mayor before winning election to Congress in 1996.

During her tenure in Washington, Granger became a leading voice on defense spending, veterans’ issues, and federal appropriations. She chaired the House Appropriations Committee beginning in 2023 before stepping aside the following year while remaining chairwoman emeritus through the end of her final term. Granger announced in 2023 that she would not seek reelection. Her final months in office were marked by declining health and extended absences from Washington. Her family later confirmed she had experienced dementia before leaving office in January 2025.

Her death marks the passing of one of the most consequential Republican women in Texas political history, whose career included a series of historic firsts at both the state and national levels.