Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger’s recent struggles with her health have sparked debate about how long representatives should be able to serve in Washington.
Granger’s family tells our partners at the Dallas Morning News that Granger is dealing with “dementia issues.” — Records show Granger has not voted in Congress since July.
While some share concerns about Granger’s transparency regarding her health during her final term, others reflect on her historic accomplishments during her political career.
For 27 years, Kay Granger represented Texas’ 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, a district that includes parts of Tarrant and Parker counties.
Granger has not voted in Congress since July and lost by more than 300 votes, congressional data from C-SPAN showed.
Granger’s son told our partners at the Dallas Morning News that the congresswoman was “experiencing some dementia issues late in the year.”
Granger had been living in an independent seniors facility in Fort Worth, but not in memory care, he said.
“She faces health-related challenges that prevent her from being effective in Congress,” said Carlos Rovelo, a political science professor.
Granger visited Washington last month to honor her for her work on the House Appropriations Committee and to close her Washington office.
“As many of my family, friends and colleagues know, I have been facing some unexpected health challenges over the past year,” Granger said in a statement. “However, since early September, my health challenges have worsened, making frequent travel to Washington difficult and unpredictable.”
Granger’s absence from Washington due to her health has led figures on both sides of the political aisle to call for term limits for lawmakers, including calls from California Democrat Ro Khanna and Trump ally Elon Musk.
“What the public deserves is transparency,” Rovelo said. “Everyone in the district she represents deserves to be open about her health.”
Amid the talk about her health issues, some leaders in Fort Worth have been thinking about the legacy Granger is leaving in the community.
“The fact that this woman, this divorced teacher and insurance agent, was able to convince the people of Fort Worth to vote for her for mayor, shook us and rolled our eyes at the time,” Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tem Jenna Bivins said.
Granger was the first woman to be elected mayor of Fort Worth in 1991, and the first Republican woman ever to be elected to Congress from Texas in 1996.
Supporters said she had a lasting impact through her work in the national legislature, including retaining NAS’s Joint Military Reserve Base in Fort Worth.
“There may have been times when people would challenge or question, and I would wonder if Kai could deliver what he said, and a few years ago my feedback to people was basic, these words: ‘Let Kai be Kai,’” Bivins said. “She would withdraw the money every time.”
Granger’s term ends Jan. 3 when she officially retires and Republican Craig Goldman takes over the District 12 seat.
