Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a trailblazing North Texas Republican who became the first woman to serve as Fort Worth’s mayor, has died, officials said Sunday night. She was 83 years old.
The longtime congresswoman wasn’t only the first female mayor of Fort Worth; she was the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first female Republican appropriations chair.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson released the following statement:
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“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.”
After serving in the U.S. House since Jan. 3, 1997, the North Texas Republican stepped aside, addressing health challenges and extended absences from Washington before completing her final term and retiring in January 2025.
Her office released a statement at the time on her behalf:
“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year. 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.”
A spokeswoman for Granger denied a report by an internet news site that she was living in a memory care facility. Instead, the spokeswoman and Granger’s son said she was living in an independent living facility. Granger’s son told the Dallas Morning News she was “having some dementia issues late in the year.”
In 2025, Granger was named Fort Worth Inc.’s 2025 Person of the Year for her decades of public service and lasting impact on the city.
