By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is running for re-election.
Graves, a Republican, first won election as a state representative in 1992. In 1994, Graves won election to the Missouri Senate. He won election to Congress in 2000. Graves has won re-election ever since.
Graves says he’s running for re-election for a simple reason.
“I enjoy what I’m doing and it’s one of the most gratifying things ever when you are able to help somebody out,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Graves says he considers 51% of the role of a member of Congress helping constituents deal with the federal government, whether it be the Veterans Administration of the Social Security Administration or any other federal agency. Only 49% of that role is passing legislation, according to Graves.
Though it has been a long career, Graves says he originally gave no thought to politics.
“This isn’t something I ever intended to get into,” Graves says. “I kind of backed into politics when I first ran for state representative, but I’ve come to love the opportunity to help folks.”
Graves has been in Congress long enough to become the dean of the Missouri Congressional delegation. He says he still helps new members adjust to life on Capitol Hill.
Graves says he has not lost the thrill of being a member of Congress and still enjoys bounding up the steps of the Capitol to vote.
“So, I kind of use that as my litmus test and I still get excited every time I walk over and walk up those stairs and walk right through the front door,” Graves says. “It’s a very overwhelming experience and a very humbling experience at the same time, the fact that my constituents have allowed me to do this for so long and to help. It’s extraordinarily humbling.”
The district has changed a bit since Graves first won office. The 6th Congressional District used to be comprised of northwest Missouri counties. It now spans the entire northern third of Missouri, from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River.
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