Republican Congressman Dies After Battling COVID-19

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Texas Rep. Ron Wright died Sunday after contracting Covid-19 weeks ago.
• The 67-year-old Republican is the first sitting member of Congress to die from the coronavirus.
• Wright was more vulnerable to the virus as he underwent treatment for lung cancer in recent years.

Rep. Ron Wright died Sunday after contracting Covid-19 in January, his office said Monday. The Texas Republican was 67 years old.

In 2018, Wright had undergone treatment for lung cancer. He took office in 2019.

On Jan. 21, Wright announced he tested positive for Covid-19. Reports say he and his wife, Susan, were admitted to a Dallas hospital for two weeks prior to his death while battling the disease.

“As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end,” Wright’s office said. “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 becomes the first sitting member of Congress to succumb to the deadly coronavirus.

Louisiana Republican Luke Letlow, who was elected to the House in November, died from Covid-19 complications in December before he took office.

According to GovTrack, there were at least 71 representatives and senators who have been diagnosed with Covid-19. In the US, more than 27 million people have contracted the disease. As of this writing, more than 463,000 Americans were killed by the virus.

There will eventually be a special election in Texas to select Wright’s successor in the state’s 6th District, which sits in Tarrant County outside of Dallas.

Wright’s sudden passing means Democrats now enjoy an 11-seat advantage in the House. There 435-member House now has four vacancies, including Letlow’s 5th District in Louisiana.

Wright voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The late congressman also voted in support of objections to counting Pennsylvania and Arizona’s electoral votes in January.

Source: CNBC