Kay Granger, the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and Fort Worth’s first female mayor, has died, her family confirmed. She was 83.
Her son J.D. Granger confirmed her death to Reuters on Aug. 2.
It was not immediately known how Granger died, but in 2024 she said she had been battling “unforeseen health challenges.”
Born in the Lone Star State’s northeast city of Greenville, Granger represented Texas’ 12th Congressional District from 1997 to 2025, which includes a large part of Fort Worth.
In her final term as a lawmaker, Granger chaired the House Committee on Appropriations.
In a post on X, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson remembered the late politician as a person who “broke barriers for women in public service,” recalling she also worked as a high school teacher and businesswoman.
Granger served on the Fort Worth City Council from 1989 to 1991 and as the city’s first woman mayor from 1991 to 1995.
“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,” Johnson said. “She was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.”
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker called Granger “a trailblazer and tenacious leader” with an “indelible spirit, work ethic, constant sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to Texas.”
“I’m fortunate to have called her a mentor and friend,” Parker said in a post on X. “To Kay’s family, my prayers are with you. What a lady, and the end of an era in political service.”
Granger was the first Republican woman to lead the budget panel behind two Democrats, Representatives Nita Lowey and Rosa DeLauro
“At every step of her career, she (Granger) earned the respect of Members on both sides of the aisle through her steady leadership and deep belief in the importance of Congress fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to invest in the American people,” DeLauro said in a statement on Sunday.
Contributing: Saeed Azhar with Reuters
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.