Sam Graves

RepublicanU.S. Representative, MO-6

Age	62 (b. 1963-11-07)
Gender	Male
In office since	2001-01-03 (~25 yrs)
Religion	Baptist
Education	B.S. in Agronomy, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Agriculture, 1986; graduated Tarkio High School, 1982
Prior occupation	Farmer (sixth-generation family farmer in Atchison County, Missouri), small businessman, general aviation pilot
Military service	No
Birthplace	Tarkio, Missouri
Marital status	divorced — Lesley Hickok (divorced 2012)
Children	3
Residence	Tarkio, Missouri
Notable relatives	Brother: Todd Graves, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri (2001–2006) and former Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party (2017–2021)

Wikipedia · Ballotpedia · OpenSecrets · Official site

Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

First elected	2000
Previous offices	Missouri House of Representatives, 4th District (1993–1995) · Missouri State Senate, 12th District (1995–2001)
Committees	House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Chair, 119th Congress) · House Committee on Armed Services
Caucuses	House General Aviation Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Cement Caucus · Congressional Coalition on Adoption · Congressional Taiwan Caucus · United States–China Working Group
Leadership	Chair, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (2023–2026) · Ranking Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (2019–2023) · Chair, House Small Business Committee (2011–2015) · Ranking Member, House Small Business Committee (2009–2011)
Ideology	Conservative Republican; Heritage Action scores: 88% (117th Congress), 59% (118th Congress), 82% (116th Congress); ACU lifetime rating 85% (2017); League of Conservation Voters lifetime score 4%
Signature legislation	FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R. 3935) — bipartisan five-year reauthorization, signed into law 2024 · BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) — bipartisan five-year $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill, introduced 2026 · FAST Act (Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act) — long-term federal highway and transportation funding bill, enacted 2015

Financial

Net worth: disclosed $1,875,510–$6,875,500 (2018) · estimate

Sam Graves Farms (Atchison County, Missouri)	real_estate · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2022
Trust interest — Residences in Washington DC and Tarkio, MO (50%)	real_estate · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2022
Airport Farms Aviation LLC (50% interest, aircraft: 1954 North American T6-J, Vans RV-8)	business_owned · $100,001–$250,000 · 2022
Graves Brothers Farm (undivided 1/6 interest)	real_estate · $50,001–$100,000 · 2022
Farmers State Bank / US Bank Account	other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2022
Bar JW, Inc. (fitness studio)	business_owned · $1,001–$15,000 · 2022

Top donors: American Trucking Associations ($92,050 (top trucking industry donor, 2024 cycle)) · UPS PAC ($5,000) · Boeing PAC ($5,000) · National Air Transportation Association PAC ($3,000 (2024 cycle)) · General Aviation Manufacturers Association PAC ($5,000 (2024 cycle))

Top industries: Air Transport · Airlines · Railroads · Trucking · Sea Transport · Construction Services · Agriculture

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — House Ethics Committee inquiry into Small Business Committee witness selection (Brooks Hurst matter)

ethics-violation · 2009-03-04 · The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) conducted a preliminary review beginning March 26, 2009, into whether Rep. Graves created an appearance of a conflict of interest by facilitating the selection of Brooks Hurst — a friend and business associate with financial ties to Graves's wife (who held a small investment in a renewable-fuel cooperative in which Hurst was also involved) — as a witness at a March 4, 2009 House Small Business Committee hearing on federal regulation of biodiesel and ethanol. OCE found 'substantial reason to believe that an appearance of conflict of interest was created' and referred the matter to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee) on August 6, 2009. The Standards Committee conducted its own independent investigation, including witness interviews, and gave Graves the opportunity to respond. It found that committee staff, not Graves personally, made the final witness-selection decision, that Hurst met the standard witness-selection criteria, and that Hurst testified on behalf of the Missouri Soybean Association rather than in a personal capacity. The Committee released its findings in House Report 111-320 in October 2009. · The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct concluded that Rep. Graves did not violate any House rule or standard of conduct and closed the matter with no further action taken.

In 2009 the Office of Congressional Ethics and the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct formally investigated whether Rep. Sam Graves created an appearance of a conflict of interest in connection with the selection of a witness with financial ties to his wife for a Small Business Committee hearing; the House Ethics Committee's report concluded no House rule or standard of conduct had been violated.

Sources: House Committee on Ethics · U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov) · Congress.gov