By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune
Oct. 31, 2023
“Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth won’t seek reelection” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, announced Wednesday she will not seek reelection after nearly three decades in Congress.
“Serving my community has been the greatest honor, and I have always fought to improve the lives of my constituents,” Granger said in a statement.
Granger, 80, chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee and has represented Texas’ 12th Congressional District since 1997.
Granger has had a barrier-breaking career. When she first won her seat in 1996, she became the first Republican woman to go to the U.S. House from Texas, and before that, she was the first female mayor of Fort Worth.
“I have been able to accomplish more in this life than I could have imagined,” Granger said, “and I owe it all to my incredible family, staff, friends, and supporters.”
Her district was drawn to favor Republicans and will likely stay in the GOP column. She alluded in her statement to the race to succeed her, saying it is time for the “next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people. “
Granger played a key role in House Republicans’ struggle to find a new speaker last month. She was among three Texas Republicans who helped block Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, from getting the gavel.
She and other Republicans ultimately coalesced around Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., for speaker. She said she would spend the rest of her term working “with our new Speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do.”
Granger won reelection last year with nearly two-thirds of the vote. In 2020, she faced a well-funded primary challenger from her right, Chris Putnam, but won by 16 percentage points.
At least one Republican, John O’Shea, is already running for her seat next year. O’Shea is endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is planning to have a high profile in the March primaries after the Senate acquitted him in his September impeachment trial.
Candidate filing for the primary starts Nov. 11 and goes through Dec. 11.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/kay-granger-congress-texas-expected-stepping-down/.
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