Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX), 67, passed away Sunday night.
He had been battling lung cancer when he checked himself into Baylor hospital in Dallas two weeks ago due to COVID-19 complications.
From The Dallas Morning News:
Wright is the first member of Congress to die of COVID-19.“Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue,” according to a statement released by Wright’s office. “Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn. As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end. 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.”
Wright went into quarantine on January 15 after he came into contact with someone with the virus. He tested positive on January 21.
He stayed away from Washington, D.C., for a long time in the past 11 months:
“I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of the 6th District from home this week. I encourage everyone to keep following CDC guidelines and want to thank all the medical professionals on the front lines who fight this virus head-on every single day,” he said at the time in a statement issued by his office.The quarantine began two days after the House voted to impeach then-president Donald Trump. Wright voted against the impeachment, as did all but 10 Republicans, none from Texas.Wright, given his age and health complications, stayed away from Washington for stretches at a time over the last 11 months, House voting records show. While congressional leaders have taken steps to stop COVID-19′s spread, several lawmakers have still contracted the virus.
Wright lived in Tarrant County his whole life. He served on Arlington’s City Council from 2000 to 2008. Then he took over as Tarrant County’s Tax Assessor-Collector in 2011. He won the position in 2012 and 2016.
Wright first went to Congress in 2019 after he won the election in November 2018:
The congressman wanted to pursue comprehensive tax reform to simplify the tax code, with tax cuts for the middle class, according to his campaign website.”Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative,” according to his campaign’s statement. “He was a statesman, not an ideologue. Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn.”
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