AFoCR Mourns the Loss of Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) Who Was A Champion of Czech-U.S. Relations.
From The Hill
Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) died on Sunday evening after testing positive for COVID-19 late last month.
"Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on Feb. 7, 2021," Wright's campaign said in a statement on Monday. "His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior."
Wright, 67, had previously been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. He is the first member of Congress to die from COVID-19.
Wright announced his diagnosis on Jan. 21, stating he had “mild symptoms.” He was later hospitalized and treated at Baylor Hospital.
“I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of #TX6 from home this week,” Wright said at the time.
“Over the past few years, Congressman Wright had kept a rigorous work schedule on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and at home in Texas’ Congressional District 6 while being treated for cancer. For the previous two weeks, Ron and Susan had been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19,” his office said in a statement.
"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," his office added. "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, who was first elected to Texas’s 6th Congressional District in 2018, leaves behind his wife, Susan, children Justin and Rachel and nine grandchildren.
Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-La.) died late last year as a result of complications from the virus shortly before he was slated to take office.
Alex Gangitano contributed to this report, which was updated at 11:39 a.m.