\n Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger represented Texas\u2019 12th Congressional District from 1997 to 2025 and previously served as Fort Worth\u2019s first female mayor. | Image by Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives. <\/p>\n
Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who rose from Fort Worth City Hall to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has died at 83, The Dallas Express has learned.<\/p>\n
Granger represented<\/a> Texas\u2019 12th Congressional District for 28 years. Across more than three decades in elected office, she became the first woman to serve as Fort Worth mayor, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n A Fort Worth trailblazer<\/p>\n Born in Greenville on January 18, 1943, Granger graduated<\/a> from Eastern Hills High School in 1961 and earned a degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 1965. She worked as a teacher and business owner before entering public service.<\/p>\n Her path into politics began with a neighborhood fight<\/a> over a proposed liquid-waste processing plant near her East Fort Worth home. Granger organized residents against the project, then served on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission from 1981 to 1989 and the City Council from 1989 to 1991.<\/p>\n Fort Worth voters elected<\/a> Granger mayor in 1991. She served through 1995 before winning an open congressional seat in 1996. Granger took office on January 3, 1997, and served in 14 consecutive Congresses.<\/p>\n Power in Washington<\/p>\n Granger spent 25 years<\/a> on the House Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers decide how the federal government spends taxpayer money. She became the committee\u2019s ranking Republican in 2019 and its chairwoman in January 2023. Granger stepped down as chair in April 2024 and remained chairwoman emeritus through the end of her term.<\/p>\n Her committee work placed her at the center of defense, foreign policy and domestic spending decisions. She championed military readiness, support for veterans and major North Texas priorities, including defense and flood-control projects. Granger became the fourth Texan<\/a> to lead the Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) praised Granger during her November 2024 portrait unveiling<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cKay Granger has been a champion for Texas and a faithful public servant for the people of the 12th district for nearly three decades,<\/strong>\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n A difficult final chapter<\/p>\n Granger announced in 2023 that she would not seek reelection. Serious health problems and a prolonged absence from the House floor marked her final months in office.<\/p>\n As previously reported<\/a> by The Dallas Express, Granger had not cast a House vote since July 24, 2024, and was living at a senior living facility in Fort Worth. Her son later confirmed that she was a resident and said she had experienced dementia issues. Granger\u2019s office said her health challenges had made frequent travel to Washington difficult and unpredictable.<\/p>\n Her term ended on January 3, 2025. The disclosure renewed a national debate over how Congress handles lawmakers whose health prevents them from voting, an issue that resurfaced<\/a> in July during U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell\u2019s extended absence from the Senate.<\/p>\n That difficult final chapter did not erase the historic firsts and decades of service that defined Granger\u2019s public career.<\/strong><\/p>\n A legacy of service<\/p>\n Fort Worth Inc. named<\/a> Granger its 2025 Person of the Year in recognition of her influence on the city\u2019s development, business community and national standing. In a 2025 profile<\/a>, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said, \u201cKay\u2019s influence will last in perpetuity. There will be nobody like her.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n