DALLAS (NEXSTAR) — U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, a Republican from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has died two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, according to multiple news outlets.
Wright, 67, is the first sitting member of Congress to die from the virus. He had also been battling cancer.
Shortly after testing positive, a spokesperson for the congressman told the Texas Tribune Wright was experiencing minor symptoms.
“I feel okay and will continue working for the people of the 6th District from home this week,” Wright said in a statement a few weeks ago. “I encourage everyone to keep following CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and want to thank all the medical professionals on the front lines who fight this virus head-on every single day.”
Wright had not been vaccinated.
Following his death, his family released a statement to the Dallas Morning News:
“Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. 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. 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.”
