Kay's Biography

Kay Granger is proud to represent Texas’ 12th congressional district, serving a community she has been an integral part of her entire life. Elected to her 10th term in 2014 by an overwhelming margin, Kay has earned her reputation in Congress as a hard-working, tough and principled leader on the issues that matter most to the people she serves. Her legislative prowess and ability to get things done, widely respected by both policy makers and influencers in Washington alike, led to her recognition by CQ’s Roll Call as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Congress.

Since arriving in the House of Representatives, Kay has been a strong advocate for global security and national defense. As a leading proponent of the nation’s Armed Forces, Kay has taken the lead in advancing some of its most important modernization programs, and was later appointed by House leadership to the House Armed Services Committee and asked to serve on the Select Committee on Homeland Security. In the months following 9/11, Kay worked on this select committee to establish the Department of Homeland Security. Her efforts were noticed by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who in turn recognized Kay with the first Global War on Terrorism coin.

Fort Worth is a strategic center for our nation’s security, in large part because it is home to the Naval Air Station Fort Worth - Joint Reserve Base (NAS Fort Worth-JRB). In addition, a number of important defense contractors and subcontractors are based in the 12th district, and Kay fully supports the talented people and businesses that make the weapons systems that keep our country safe. Local programs that fuel the Texas and U.S. economies include Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ manufacturing line that builds the F-35 “Lightning” Joint Strike Fighter, F-16 “Fighting Falcon” and F-22 “Raptor”; and, Bell Helicopter Textron’s ongoing development and procurement of the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.  

She has also championed the growth of the world’s first industrial airport, Fort Worth Alliance Airport, and its surrounding AllianceTexas development that is today home to more than 400 of the world’s leading companies and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southwest Headquarters.

The first and only Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, Granger serves as vice-chair of the powerful Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which has direct oversight of the Department of State and national security programs abroad. In these roles, Kay is a leading voice for government accountability and transparency at the Department of State, especially during its recent probe into the attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi.

As vice-chair of Defense Appropriations, Kay helps to ensure funding for projects critical to national defense, such as the F-35 fighter and the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft, as well as supports NAS Fort Worth-JRB to ensure it is fully funded. Most notably, Kay was an integral part of stopping the removal of Air National Guard C-130s from the base and ensured the fleet was replaced with newer models that would assure the base’s position as an important hub for our nation’s defense for years to come. She has also championed the Iron Dome defense system, which helps protect the State of Israel from short-range missile attacks.

During the 2014 national security and humanitarian crisis resulting from the influx of more than 58,000 displaced children at the U.S.-Mexico border, Granger was selected to chair the task force to address the challenges created by the crisis. More recently, Granger was the first to call for oversight hearings to respond to the Ebola outbreak in the United States and was instrumental in creating a bipartisan Congressional task force to combat the global rise of anti-Semitism.

Kay has also been recognized for her humanitarian efforts, being named the U.S. Agency for International Development’s 2014 Champion in the Global Fight Against Tuberculosis. In attacking the immoral practice of human trafficking, she has provided greater stability in volatile parts of the world while disrupting recruitment efforts and funding sources for terrorist organizations.

Her work to end the poaching of black rhinos and elephants in the wild led the World Wildlife Fund to award her the title of Conservation Champion. Granger’s work in this area sharply reduced the sale of rhino horns, which terrorists and other criminals sell to fund their activities worldwide. For her efforts, she was honored as a Conservation Hero by Conservation International in 2014.

In recognition of her achievements, Kay was elected to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame. Additional honors she has received include the National Federation of Independent Business’ Champion of Small Business Award; the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award from the National Association of Manufacturers; as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Fort Worth Home Builders Association.

Born in Greenville, Texas and raised in Fort Worth, Kay never intended to become involved in politics. Majoring in education, Kay graduated from Texas Wesleyan University and became a high school journalism and English teacher. In 1978, she opened and successfully operated her own insurance agency before becoming involved in the political process because of some local issues impacting her and her community.

Kay’s public service began as a member of the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, and she was then elected as the first female Mayor of Fort Worth in 1991. Under Kay’s strong leadership, Fort Worth’s economy grew; crime was reduced by 49 percent; and, the city was recognized with a coveted All-American City Award in 1993.

Kay- a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution- returns home to the district nearly every weekend to meet with constituents in person and talk with them about what is going on in Washington. Kay attends the First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth and is the mother of three children and grandmother of five. She is an avid and accomplished painter, and enjoys being with her family during spare time.