Kay Granger, a pioneering Republican congresswoman from Texas and the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, died Sunday at age 83, her son J.D. Granger announced. Granger served in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly three decades, representing Texas's 12th congressional district.
House Speaker Mike Johnson remembered Granger as a figure who "broke barriers for women in public service” and a "dear friend who will be greatly missed." Her career included numerous firsts, starting with her election as the first woman to serve as mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. She later became the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Granger, who began her career as a teacher and businesswoman, was first elected to the House in 1996. She did not seek reelection in 2024, citing unspecified "health challenges" that made frequent travel to Washington difficult in her final months. She had not cast a vote in Washington since July 2024.
Born in 1942, Granger graduated from Texas Wesleyan University in 1965. After teaching English literature and journalism for nine years, a divorce prompted a career change. She started an insurance business, which she managed for over two decades, becoming a successful entrepreneur. "I was a high school teacher with three children... and my husband left," Granger said in a 2008 profile. "It's the reason I talk so much to working mothers... you just fight your way through the day."
Her political career began with service on Fort Worth's zoning commission, followed by a city council seat. She was elected mayor of Fort Worth in 1991, serving until 1995. During her tenure as mayor, her "Code: Blue" programs, which included citizen patrols and private sector partnerships, were credited with reducing crime rates and revitalizing the city's economy.
Recruited by both parties to run for Congress, Granger won as a Republican in 1996. Upon joining the House, she served on committees including Budget, Oversight, and Transportation and Infrastructure before accepting a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee. In that role, she focused on defense spending and was a proponent of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production in Fort Worth.
When Republicans gained control of the House in 2023, Granger assumed the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. In this capacity, she advocated for deeper non-defense spending cuts than what was ultimately agreed upon in negotiations to avert a government default.