Former Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, died Sunday at the age of 83. Colleagues remembered her as a trailblazer who broke barriers for women in public service.
Granger had a distinguished career that included being the first woman elected mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. She was also the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first female Republican to chair the House Appropriations Committee.
She represented her Texas district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 until her retirement in January of last year. Granger cited health challenges and extended absences from Washington as reasons for her departure.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement that Granger devoted her life to serving her Fort Worth community, beginning as a teacher and businesswoman. Her public service extended to the Fort Worth Zoning Commission and City Council before her mayoral term and then her nearly three decades in Congress. Johnson noted that throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service.