Jim Graves

Jim Graves
Candidate for
U.S. House, Minnesota, District 6
Party	Democratic
Education
Bachelor's	Saint Cloud State University
Websites
Campaign website
Jim Graves campaign logo

The information about this individual is current as of when his or her last campaign ended. See anything that needs updating? Send a correction to our editors

Jim Graves was a 2012 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House representing the 6th Congressional District of Minnesota. He was defeated by incumbent Michele Bachmann (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.

Biography

Graves grew up on the north side of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Soon after getting married, he and his wife earned a living performing as professional folk musicians. In 1974, he became a teacher at Holy Spirit Elementary School in St. Cloud. In 1976, he started his own business, Intra Financial Corporation. He has started numerous other small businesses.

Career

• Founder, AmericInn
• Owner, Graves Hospitality
• Owner, Intra Financial Corporation
• Former Teacher, Holy Spirit Elementary School

Elections

2014

Graves is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Jumpstart program, which is designed to provide early support to top-tier Democratic challengers.

2012

See also: Minnesota's 6th congressional district elections, 2012

Graves ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Minnesota's 6th District. He was defeated by Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann in the November general election.

U.S. House, Minnesota, District 6, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Michele Bachmann Incumbent	50.5%	179,240
	Democratic	Jim Graves	49.3%	174,944
	NA	Write-in	0.3%	969
Total Votes				355,153
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Campaign Issues

The issues below are highlighted on Graves campaign website.

• Jobs and the Economy

Excerpt: "In order to jumpstart economic growth, we need to increase aggregate demand for American goods and products. We can do this by making sure more money is in the hands of middle class consumers. In this fragile economy, we cannot afford to burden the middle class with tax hikes."

• Education

Excerpt: "In our K-12 education systems, we need to reduce class sizes to ensure that every child is given the attention he or she deserves. We need to recruit, train and support the most effective teachers. We need to make sure that smart investments are made in programs that have proven track records of promote academic excellence."

• Trade

Excerpt: "I support fair trade that enforces safe labor practices, protects the environment, levels the playing field, and creates livable-wage jobs in America and the 6th Congressional District."

• Veterans

Excerpt: "We must ensure that even after hanging up their uniform, all veterans have access to the best health care in the country. Caring for those veterans that suffer from traumatic injuries must be one of America’s top priorities. Lastly, we should all be proud in knowing that our veterans are finally receiving benefits from the 21st Century GI Bill, which ensures that every military member returning from Iraq or Afghanistan has the opportunity for a four-year college degree."

• Seniors

Excerpt: "I know the way we treat our seniors defines us as a society. This election, Americans will send a clear message that our seniors’ dignity, well being, and retirements will not be sacrificed to pay for Congress’s spending binges."

Campaign donors

2012

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2012 elections season. Below are Graves's reports.

Jim Graves (2012) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	March 31, 2012	$0.00	$101,026.00	$(16,000.00)	$85,026.00
July Quarterly	June 30, 2012	$85,026.00	$412,925.00	$(93,461.89)	$404,489.11
October Quarterly	October 15, 2012	$351,622.79	$938,984.39	$(676,330.85)	$614,276.33
			Running totals
			$1,452,935.39	$(785,792.74)

Recent news

Know more information about this profile? Submit a bio

This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Jim + Graves + Minnesota + House"

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Jim Graves News Feed

• New Poll Has Jim Graves Beating Michele Bachmann - Patch.com
• Scandal-shocked House Democrats fear for 2014 - Politico
• CNN Washington AM Note - CNN (blog)
• Bachmann Airing Ads On Minnesota TV - National Journal (blog)
• Bachmann buys airtime 18 months from election day - Minnesota Public Radio
• Bachmann takes to the airwaves early - Minneapolis Star Tribune
• House campaign committees further gear up for 2014 - NBCNews.com (blog)
• National Democrats, Republicans target Minnesota seats - MinnPost.com
• House Democrats aim to give 2014 recruits a head start - Washington Post - Washington Post (blog)
• IRS Scandal Sparks Fundraising Blitz - Huffington Post - Huffington Post

Personal

Graves is married to his wife, Julie and they have three children.

External links

• Official Campaign Website
• Vote Smart Profile
• Facebook Profile
• Twitter Account