Republican Congressman Ron Wright, of Texas, died on Sunday night following a battle with COVID-19, his office said in a statement. He was 67. Wright is the first member of Congress to die from the coronavirus.
The 67-year-old was first elected to Congress in 2018 and re-elected last year. He’d battled multiple bouts of lung cancer in recent years and was hospitalized last fall due to complications with his treatment, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
“Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue,” his office wrote in a statement, according to the report.
“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, ” the statement added.
