Bob Graham
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham (born November 9, 1936) is a retired American politician, who was a prominent member of the Democratic Party.
Graham has never lost any election. His career started with being a state legislator (Representative 1966-1969, and Senator 1971-1979).
In 1978 he was elected Governor of Florida. His Lt. Governor was Wayne Mixson. Graham was reelected in 1982, when he won 65% over a Republican candidate, Skip Bafalis.
He was a popular Governor. He did much for protect an enviroment. He also oversaw resumption of state executions (as first time since 1964), when 16 people were electrocuted. The first of them, John Spenkelink, was first the first to die in the electric chair since 1966 in the United States, and second to be executed since 1967 (after Gary Gilmore in Utah in January 1977).
Graham was elected to the United States Senate in 1986, defeating sitting Senator Paula Hawkins. He served as Senator from 1985 to 2005, when he retired. He resigned from governorship on January 3, 1985, three days before the swearing-in of the governor-elect, Republican Robert Martinez. For this time Mixson assumed his duties, making him the shortest serving governor in Florida history.
From 2001 to 2003 Graham was a chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
In early 2003 he decided to run for President but, after poor results in an opinion polls, he resigned and later supported John Kerry, who won the Democratic nomination. He was regarded as possible Kerry Vice Presidential candidate, but Kerry chose John Edwards.
Graham voted in 2002 against intervention in Iraq.
[edit] Personal
- He was born in Dade County (now Miami-Dade County)
- He is married to Adele Khoury since 1959
| Came before: Reubin Askew |
Governor of Florida 1979-1987 |
Came after: Wayne Mixson |
| Came before: Paula Hawkins |
U.S. Senator from Florida 1987-2004 |
Came after: Mel Martinez |
