Former US Representative Kay Granger, a trailblazing Texas Republican who shattered historic political barriers, has died at the age of 83.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a transformative Texas Republican who broke historic barriers across local and federal governance for nearly four decades, has died at the age of 83.
Granger died on August 2, 2026, according to an announcement confirmed by the U.S. House Office of the Historian. A fixture of North Texas politics, she represented Texas’ 12th Congressional District for 14 consecutive terms from 1997 until her retirement in January 2025, cementing a reputation as one of Capitol Hill’s most formidable champions of national defense and infrastructure.
Throughout a trailblazing career, Granger registered a series of political firsts. In 1991, she shattered precedent by becoming the first female mayor of Fort Worth. Five years later, she made history again as the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2023, she reached the zenith of congressional influence when she became the first Republican woman to serve as chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.