Kay Granger, the longtime Republican congresswoman and Fort Worth trailblazer, has died at 83 after a long career in public service.
Kay Granger died at age 83, closing a chapter on a career that began in local schoolrooms and ended in the halls of Congress. She was the first Republican woman from Texas to serve in the U.S. House and served fourteen terms representing the 12th Congressional District. Her time in office made her a powerful figure in the Lone Star delegation and in federal spending decisions. Granger also once served as Fort Worth’s first female mayor, breaking local barriers before moving to the national stage.
Granger first joined Congress in 1997 and over the years built a reputation for steady, results-driven work. She announced in October 2023 that she would not seek another term, and she left behind a record tied closely to defense and appropriations priorities. From the Appropriations Committee, she secured projects and funding that mattered to Fort Worth and to major local employers. Those efforts earned her both influence and critics, but they also protected jobs in her district.
On the Appropriations Committee she rose to chairmanship and used that perch to guide spending decisions, especially on defense. Fort Worth hosts major defense contractors, and Granger’s role helped direct federal resources that supported those industries. Her approach was pragmatic: focus on local priorities, protect manufacturing and defense jobs, and maintain strong ties with the military community. That kind of constituency service defined much of her tenure.
Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, who became one of the most powerful Texans in Congress after breaking barriers as Fort Worth’s first female mayor, has died at the age of 83.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker shared posts honoring Granger, a Republican who served 14 terms representing Tarrant and Parker County, on social media Sunday evening.
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Granger joined the U.S. House in 1997 representing Texas’ 12th Congressional District. She announced she wouldn’t seek reelection to Congress in November 2023. Granger was the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House.
She worked steadily to gain clout as one of a handful of House members who directed federal spending. From her perch on the Appropriations Committee, she gained influence over defense projects in particular, helping to protect jobs for top Fort Worth employers Lockheed Martin and others. Parker described her as “a trailblazer and tenacious leader.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson offered his condolences on her passing on social media:
https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/2084081192999981058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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.
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. She was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.
Her later years were marked by health struggles. According to family statements, Ms. Granger was affected by dementia, a condition that removed her from public life for months and effectively ended her active role in Congress. Reports indicate she went missing from the Hill in late 2024 and that outlets attempting to reach her offices found no staff present and voicemail unanswered. By December 2024 she had been absent for about six months, with her last roll-call vote recorded on July 24, 2024, and she was later located in a nursing home that specializes in dementia care.
Granger stepped away from electoral politics by choosing not to run again in 2023, and her seat was later filled by Republican Craig Goldman. Her departure closed a long career dedicated to Fort Worth and to pragmatic conservative governance. Those who worked with her point to a record of steady constituent focus, defense support, and an ability to deliver projects that mattered to her district.
