Texas Republican Rep. Ron Wright became the first member of Congress to die of COVID-19.
Wright had also been battling lung cancer.
‘Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on Feb. 7, 2021. His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior,’ Wright’s office said Monday morning.
Rep. Ron Wright has died from COVID-19, becoming the first member of Congress to pass away from the virus
Rep. Ron Wright (left) gives a thumbs up alongside President Donald Trump (right). Wright died of COVID-19 at the age of 67
Rep. Ron Wright (right) is sworn-into Congress by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left). Holding the Bible is Wright’s wife Susan who has also been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19
‘Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue,’ the statement continued. ‘Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn.’
Susan Wright had been admitted to the hospital alongside her husband and is also battling COVID-19, Wright’s office said.
‘As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end,’ the statement said. ‘Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice.’
On January 21, Wright’s office had put out a statement saying the 67-year-old lawmaker had tested positive for COVID-19.
After returning to Texas following the House’s vote to impeach President Donald Trump a second time, Wright learned that he and members of his staff had come into contact with a person who tested positive for the virus.
Wright had not been vaccinated, the Texas Tribune said.
He watched President Joe Biden’s January 20 inauguration from home.
Wright was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, filling the seat of retiring Rep. Joe Barton, and ran for re-election in 2020 despite his cancer diagnosis.
In September, Wright had been hospitalized due to complications with cancer.
His office never announced if he had gone into remission since then.
Wright had three children and nine grandchildren.
While Wright is the first member of Congress to die of the coronavirus, in December Republicans lost Louisiana Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, who perished from COVID-19 at the age of 41, just days before he was to be sworn-in.
As of February 2, at least 64 sitting members of Congress had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to The New York Times’ tally.
That breaks down to 44 Republicans and 20 Democrats.
During the January 6 insurrection, footage showed Republican lawmakers refusing to put on masks despite pleas from their Democratic colleagues.
Wright’s case was not considered one directly related to the attack.
Condolences from current and former colleagues poured in Monday after the news spread of Wright’s passing.
Rep. Chip Roy, also a Texas Republican, said he had lost one of his ‘closest friends in Congress.’
‘The last text I got from Ron was just over a week ago. He said “Still in hospital, but definitely improving. Praying for your family!!!” This was because my had a positive test amongst us, and he was constantly asking how we were doing, even as his cancer-ravaged body was in a weakened state to battle the virus,’ Roy wrote in a statement. ‘That is who he was: caring for others to the very last.’
Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, called Wright a ‘gentleman who cared deeply about public service.’ ‘My condolences to his family and friends,’ Castro said.