Kay Granger, the Fort Worth Republican who served in Congress for nearly three decades and broke multiple barriers for women in Texas politics, has died at 83, prompting tributes from leaders across the party and beyond.

Kay Granger died Sunday at age 83, and Republican leaders quickly noted her long service and steady focus on committee work. She left a mark as a practical conservative who preferred the mechanics of governance over television spectacle. Her death brings attention to a career built on local roots and national responsibility.

Granger made a string of firsts in Texas politics, becoming the first woman elected mayor of Fort Worth and the first Republican woman from Texas sent to the U.S. House of Representatives. She later became the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, the panel that decides federal spending. Those milestones shaped a path that many Republican women have since followed.

“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.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson called Granger a dear friend who will be greatly missed and sent prayers for her family and the Fort Worth community. The remarks reflected the personal ties she kept to her district even while holding national responsibility. Her reputation centered on steady leadership rather than partisan theater.

Granger won her first House race in 1996 and took office in January 1997, representing Texas’ 12th Congressional District. Over roughly 28 years she rose through the Appropriations Committee, serving as a subcommittee chair before leading the full panel. That tenure stretched across multiple administrations and shifting congressional majorities.

Her colleagues noted historic firsts on the defense side as well: she was the first woman to sit on and serve as chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and the first Republican woman to head the full committee. Those roles put her squarely in control of major spending decisions for the military and other priorities. Her steady hand on appropriations work earned respect from members who valued results.

“Throughout our years serving together on the Appropriations Committee, we worked through difficult challenges with mutual respect and honesty.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro reflected on working with Granger through tough decisions and said Granger “devoted her life to serving the people of Texas and our nation with integrity, determination, and a profound sense of duty,” earning bipartisan respect. In a polarized Congress, that kind of acknowledgment from both sides stands out. Lawmakers still spar, but Granger’s record showed committee work can bridge divides.

Her final months in Washington were marked by health struggles that limited her presence on the Hill. She had not cast a vote in the House after July 24, 2024, and chose not to seek reelection in the 2024 cycle. Granger stepped away from Congress at the start of 2025, leaving a long list of appropriations accomplishments behind.

“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.”

That December 2024 statement was her first public acknowledgment of the condition that curtailed her travel and work. She praised her office and staff for maintaining constituent services during her absence, noting their faithful service to the district over many years. Granger formally retired from the House in January 2025.

In the months before her death she had been placed in an assisted living facility for dementia patients, and she reflected on a career of local and national service when speaking about her time in office. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the city of Fort Worth, as a city council member, as mayor, and as a Member of Congress.”

The specific cause of death was not disclosed, and no family statement detailing the circumstances has been made public. News of her passing generated a steady flow of tributes from current lawmakers who remembered her as a pragmatic conservative who got work done. That practical approach cut against the louder, flashier politics that dominate headlines.

Rep. Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Caucus, said Granger “was a pioneer, a dedicated public servant, and a trailblazing leader who opened doors for generations of Republican women to follow.” McClain added that Granger’s “impact on Congress and our Nation will not be forgotten.” Those comments highlighted Granger’s role in creating space for other women in GOP leadership.

Granger left a district that remained in Republican hands after her retirement, but observers note the broader political map in Texas has become more competitive. Recent polls have shown the state is no longer uniformly safe for one party, and Granger’s brand of committee-focused, results-driven governance remains a model some in the GOP point to as the party evaluates strategy. Her approach emphasized institutions and outcomes over headlines.

First elected when Republican women from Texas were rare in Washington, she built a long career on the unglamorous, detail-heavy business of appropriations. She did not chase cable-news fame; she chased gavels, and she got them. That steady focus on governance defined her time in public life and opened doors for others to follow.