Kay Granger, the Fort Worth Republican who rose from City Hall to become one of the most influential lawmakers in Washington, has died at 83.
Granger represented Texas' 12th Congressional District for 28 years, capping a public career that included a string of historic firsts. She was Fort Worth's first female mayor, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful panels in Congress.
Her influence stretched well beyond North Texas. As chair of the committee responsible for writing the federal government's spending bills, Granger helped shape national defense, foreign policy and domestic funding priorities while steering billions of dollars toward military installations, flood-control efforts and other projects important to her district.
House Speaker Mike Johnson recognized that legacy during the unveiling of Granger's congressional portrait in November 2024.
"Kay Granger has been a champion for Texas and a faithful public servant for the people of the 12th district for nearly three decades," Johnson said.
Born in Greenville on Jan. 18, 1943, Granger graduated from Eastern Hills High School before earning a degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 1965. She worked as a teacher and later owned a business before entering politics.
Her political career began with a neighborhood fight.
Concerned about plans for a liquid-waste processing facility near her East Fort Worth home, Granger organized residents to oppose the project. The effort launched a career in public service that took her to the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, the City Council and, in 1991, the mayor's office.
Five years later, she won an open congressional seat and took office on Jan. 3, 1997. Voters returned her to Washington 13 more times.
Over the next quarter century, Granger became one of Congress' most respected appropriators. She spent 25 years on the House Appropriations Committee, became the panel's top Republican in 2019 and assumed the chairmanship in January 2023. She stepped aside as chair in April 2024 while remaining chairwoman emeritus through the end of her term, becoming just the fourth Texan to lead the committee.
Granger announced in 2023 that she would not seek another term, but the closing chapter of her career unfolded under difficult circumstances.
She stopped voting in the House after July 24, 2024, and was later confirmed by her son to be living in a Fort Worth senior living facility while dealing with dementia. Her office said health challenges had made travel between Texas and Washington increasingly difficult.
Her term expired on Jan. 3, 2025. The revelation of her declining health prompted renewed questions about how Congress handles members whose medical conditions prevent them from carrying out their duties, an issue that resurfaced months later during U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's extended absence from the Senate.
Still, Granger's legacy was shaped far more by the decades that came before than by the challenges at the end of her career.
State Board of Education Chairman Brandon Hall said Granger's commitment to North Texas defined her years in public office.
"Congresswoman Granger will be remembered for her prolific career and as a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly for her constituents," Hall said.
Her impact on Fort Worth remained evident long after she announced her retirement. Fort Worth Inc. named Granger its 2025 Person of the Year, recognizing the role she played in the city's growth, business community and national profile.
In that profile, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker summed up Granger's influence in simple terms.
"Kay's influence will last in perpetuity. There will be nobody like her."
Granger offered her own reflection as her time in Congress drew to a close.
