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Sam Graves

U.S. House · MO-6 · Republicans · since 2025

also

Candidate for U.S. House · MO-6

Target Sam

Biography

Overview

Sam Graves is a Republican U.S. Representative from Missouri's 6th congressional district, serving since 2001. He represents a northern Missouri district that stretches from the Kansas border to the Illinois border, with the bulk of its population in the northern Kansas City metropolitan area. Before his congressional career, Graves served eight years in the Missouri General Assembly, including one term in the Missouri House of Representatives and two terms in the Missouri Senate. He is the dean of Missouri's congressional delegation following Senator Roy Blunt's retirement in 2023.

Career

Graves was ranked as the most effective House Republican in the 118th Congress (2023-25) by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. He has served as Chair of the influential Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for multiple years. In 2008, Graves voted against the proposed bailout of the financial system, stating it neither punished wrongdoers nor adequately protected taxpayers and investors. He has pursued legislation on aviation funding, rural infrastructure, and military family benefits. On March 27, 2026, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2026.

Prior political experience

Graves was first elected to Congress in 2000 in a special election when Democratic Representative Pat Danner retired due to breast cancer. He defeated Steve Danner, the former state senator and Danner's son, with 51% of the vote. In 2008, he faced well-financed Democratic challenger Kay Barnes, a former Kansas City Mayor who had roots in the district. Graves won that race with 59% of the vote to Barnes's 37%. Beyond these details, specific margins, opponent information, and outcomes for other election cycles are not provided in the available data.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress+0.449

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
+0.162
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 332 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
13thU.S. House MO-62025–presentIn progressSam Graves—
12thU.S. House MO-62023–2025Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
11thU.S. House MO-62021–2023Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
10thU.S. House MO-62019–2021Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
9thU.S. House MO-62017–2019Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
8thU.S. House MO-62015–2017Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
7thU.S. House MO-62013–2015Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
6thU.S. House MO-62011–2013Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
5thU.S. House MO-62009–2011Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
4thU.S. House MO-62007–2009Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
3rdU.S. House MO-62005–2007Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
2ndU.S. House MO-62003–2005Term endedSam GravesSam Graves
1stU.S. House MO-62001–2003Term ended—Sam Graves

Committee assignments

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
——Pending——