Texas Republican Rep. Ron Wright died Sunday, about two weeks after contracting COVID-19. Wright, the first sitting member of Congress to die from the virus, also underwent cancer treatment for years, according to a statement released by his office.
“Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully on February 7, 2021. At age 67, his wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior,” the statement read.
For the past two weeks, he and his wife, Susan Wright, have been at Baylor Hospital in Dallas after COVID-19 was diagnosed in both. On January 21, Wright released a statement announcing that he had tested positive after coming into contact with someone who had the disease a week earlier.
When announcing his diagnosis, Wright quarantined his symptoms as ‘minor’. “I feel good and will be working from home for the people of the 6th District this week,” he said.
Carolyn Kaster / AP
Wright’s office said he kept a “strict work schedule” on the floor and at home during his cancer treatment, saying he fought for “individual freedom, the values of Texas and, above all, the lives of the unborn.”
Wright won the sixth district seat for the first time in 2018 after longtime Congressman Joe Barton retired. The district includes Arlington, part of Fort Worth, and areas south of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Although Wright is the first congressman to die after contracting the virus, elected Congressman Luke Letlow also died at the end of December, days before he was supposed to run. He was 41.
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.