After over 25 years in Congress, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger has announced she will retire at the end of her current term.
Granger, who previously served as mayor of Fort Worth, was first elected to Congress in 1996.
“Today I am announcing that I will not seek re- election to the United States House of Representatives in 2024. Serving my community has been the greatest honor, and I have always fought to improve the lives of my constituents,” said Granger. “As the first female Mayor of Fort Worth, first Republican United States Congresswoman from Texas, and the first female Republican Appropriations Chair, I have been able to accomplish more in this life than I could have imagined, and I owe it all to my incredible family, staff, friends, and supporters. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world because of our people and the vision of our Founding Fathers who created a nation that ensures every man, woman and child has the opportunity to succeed.”
Granger was plagued for the past several years with a scandal concerning her son’s involvement with Panther Island, an economic development project boondoggle that was disguised as flood control. A 2019 programmatic review found that for around 15 years nearly $400 million of taxpayer money was spent on the project, with little to show for it.
Granger currently holds a lifetime score of 66 percent on the FreedomWorks Congressional Scorecard.
Even in recent weeks, Granger has drawn the ire of conservatives after refusing to vote for Jim Jordan (R-OH) for Speaker of the House.
Her retirement sets up a wide open race to replace her. State Rep. Craig Goldman (R–Fort Worth) is widely rumored to be planning a run.
John O’Shea, a businessman who has the endorsement of Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced his campaign earlier this year.