Kay Granger, first Texas Republican woman elected to House, dies aged 83

Representative who did not seek re-election in 2024 died of Alzheimer’s disease, her son said Kay Granger, who served in the US House for almost three decades as the first elected Republican woman from Texas, died on Sunday, her family said. She was 83. The cause of death, according to her son JD Granger, was Alzheimer’s disease. It was revealed in 2024 after questions about a prolonged absence from Washington DC that Granger had “dementia issues” and was living in a care home – a development her office did not disclose for months, the New York Times reported. Mike Johnson, the Republican US House speaker, posted a tribute to the veteran lawmaker on X on Sunday, recalling “her extraordinary life of service and lasting legacy” and describing her as a dear friend. “Kay Granger devoted her life to serving her Fort Worth, Texas, community,” Johnson wrote. “Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service,” Johnson said, before highlighting how she “was the first woman to serve as mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the House of Representatives, and the first Republican woman to chair the House appropriations committee”. Bor