Trailblazing former Republican Rep Kay Granger dies at 83: ‘Broke barriers’

Former Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, died on Sunday at the age of 83, with her ex-colleagues remembering her as a trailblazer who broke barriers for women.

Granger was the first woman elected mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the first Republican woman from the Lone Star State elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first female Republican appropriations chair.

After serving in the U.S. House from 1997, Granger retired in January of last year following health challenges and extended absences from Washington.

“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,” she said in December 2024. “However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed, making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my incredible staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years.”

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Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they remember Granger as someone who broke barriers for women.

“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,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who serves as chair of the House Republican Caucus, said Granger “was a pioneer, a dedicated public servant, and a trailblazing leader who opened doors for generations of Republican women to follow.”

“Her impact on Congress and our Nation will not be forgotten. My prayers are with her family and loved ones. Rest in peace,” McClain said.

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said she was “deeply saddened” by her passing, saying the former GOP lawmaker “devoted her life to serving the people of Texas and our nation with integrity, determination, and a profound sense of duty.”

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“Throughout our years serving together on the Appropriations Committee, we worked through difficult challenges with mutual respect and honesty,” DeLauro said. “Congresswoman Granger was the first woman to sit on and serve as chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. She was the first Republican woman to lead the full Appropriations Committee, and with our counterparts Senators Patty Murray and Susan Collins, was part of the first Committee led on all four corners by women.”

“At every step of her career, she 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 added.