WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, has died at 83.
Her son, J.D. Granger, confirmed her death. A cause was not immediately released. Granger had spoken of “unforeseen health challenges” in the final months of her congressional career, and her family later said dementia-related issues kept her away from Washington for much of 2024. Funeral coverage said she died Aug. 2 after a late battle with Alzheimer’s.
Tributes came from Republican leaders and Texas officials who pointed to nearly three decades in public life and her role as a pioneer for women in politics.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called her a close friend and praised a career spent serving Fort Worth, Texas and the country. “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 on X. He said she broke barriers as Fort Worth’s first female mayor, the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House and the first Republican woman to lead Appropriations.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said she spent nearly 30 years championing North Texas, the armed forces and a strong national defense. Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, who succeeded her in the 12th District, called her a legend who changed the community she represented. “Kay will be greatly missed, but her incredible legacy will not be forgotten,” Goldman said.
Born Norvell Kay Granger on Jan. 18, 1943, in Greenville, Texas, she grew up in Fort Worth, graduated from Eastern Hills High School and earned a degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 1965. She taught high school, then built an insurance business. After a divorce, she raised three children as a single mother while entering public service.
She served on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission from 1981 to 1989, then on the City Council. In 1991 she became the city’s first woman mayor, serving until 1995 and focusing on economic development and public safety.
Voters sent her to Congress in 1996. She represented the 12th District for 14 terms, from 1997 until she left office in January 2025. In Washington she was known as a conservative focused on spending, national security and constituent work. She spent 25 years on Appropriations and became chair after Republicans won the House in 2022, stepping down from that post in April 2024.
A central priority was defense and Fort Worth’s military industry. As the first woman to chair the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, she was a leading advocate for the F-35 Lightning II program built by Lockheed Martin in her district.
In 2023 she said she would not seek reelection and wanted to finish her last term still serving her constituents.
