Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, Missouri, in St. Joseph, Mo., Dec 29, 2016. (Photo by U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Patrick P. Evenson)
Five months before the August Primary Elections, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is out.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Graves made the announcement exclusively to them that he is withdrawing his reelection paperwork. He'll be leaving Congress after 13 terms and 26 years in office because he's tired.
“I think it is time for me to step down,” Graves told the Journal in an interview. “I filed for re-election, and I was still kind of evaluating…my next chapter in life, and what that might look like.”
He told the paper that he made the decision earlier this week.
There were already two GOP candidates in the primary who were expected to run against him in the northern Missouri district, but this could mean even more candidates shift to go after the now-open seat.
There has been a tidal wave of retirements (52) announced this year, most of them (36) from the GOP as they face what is expected to be a very difficult election for candidates in President Donald Trump's party.
A few of those Republicans ended up leaving before their term was even finished, leaving an open seat that required an appointment or a quick special election where the winner would turn around and run again less than a year later.
"Graves said his departure wasn’t tied to the rough and tumble state of the House or to any concerns about re-election. While Missouri is one of the states that has joined a redistricting fight to carve out more seats and keep the House GOP majority, Graves’s seat was affected very little and he said it didn’t play a role in his decision," the report said.
Graves confessed he's not sure what he'll do next, but it won't be running for any other offices. His comments seem to indicate he wants to be a lobbyist.
“I would love to be able to help business steer its way through the legislative process, or associations, companies, whatever the case may be, and help them achieve what their outcome is,” he said.
Before leaving Congress, Graves said that he wants to figure out a way to modernize the nation’s air-traffic control system. His chief accomplishment, he said, is passing the 2024 Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization signed by President Joe Biden.
It was part of a huge effort under former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with funding under Biden's infrastructure bill that sought to overhaul everything from roads and bridges to power, water, internet and other utilities. A large sum was used to recruit air traffic controllers to ensure a more sustainable pipeline.
“He’s always been a very reasonable, pragmatic, solutions-oriented member. And I think people always appreciate that,” said Paul Sass, who previously worked with Graves on the Transportation Committee before joining a lobbying firm.