Republican Congressman Ron Wright dies after Covid battle

He had tested positive for Covid1-9 in January and had been in hospital for two weeks in Texas. He had been battling lung cancer since 2018.

A member of the US House of Representatives who was battling Covid-19 died Sunday night, becoming the first sitting member of US congress to die of the deadly virus.

Representative-elect Ron Wright reacts to drawing number 6 during a lottery for office assignments on Capitol Hill in Washington, on November 30, 2018. (Reuters file)

Ron Wright,67, was a Republican member from Texas.

He had tested positive for Covid-19 in January and had been in hospital for two weeks in Texas. He had been battling lung cancer since 2018.

“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 in a statement.

“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.”

Luke Letlow, a Republican elected to the House from Louisiana, died of Covid-19 last December, before he was sworn in.