A powerful Missouri Republican congressman is pulling the plug on his reelection bid.
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-6th) said in a statement that he will bow out of the GOP primary for Missouri's 6th Congressional District, which encompasses most of northern Missouri. He's currently the head of the House Transportation Committee.
"After considerable reflection, 2026 will be my final year in Congress," Graves posted on Facebook. "This wasn't an easy decision, but it's the right one. I believe in making room for the next generation. It's time to pass the torch and allow a new guard of conservative leaders to step forward and chart a path forward for Missourians."
While Graves, 62, filed for reelection, his departure had been rumored for weeks. With polls showing that Democrats could take over the House next year, Graves wouldn't likely have as much power for the foreseeable future.
"You've been doing the same job for 26 years, maybe you just decided it's time to leave," said Jessica Gracey, a political science professor at Northwest Missouri State University. "Or maybe you don't want to potentially be in the minority when in the House when you've been in the majority for so long."
Graves' decision marks the end an era in Missouri politics. Graves first got elected to the Missouri House in 1992 before winning a state Senate seat in 1994. He won a hotly-contested race for the 6th District in 2000, flipping the district that Democrat Pat Danner previously represented. With the exception of his victory against former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes in 2008, Graves never faced a particularly serious challenge for reelection.
"Maintaining our strong democratic republic will always depend on good people stepping up to serve from every corner of our great nation," Graves said. "I'm grateful for my colleagues in both parties, for the people I've worked alongside, and even for the opponents who challenged me and made me better. Public service isn't easy. It takes hard work, humility, a thick skin, and a willingness to fight for what's right."
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Cass County, told St. Louis Public Radio that while Graves wasn't the most high-profile member of Congress, his hard work helped build a new airport in Platte County and bring a streetcar system to Kansas City.
"Sam has invested his time wisely, not being self-serving about his time here, not trying to get on television, not trying to be what I sometimes call wildcatters, who are just intent on going in a different direction than our conference," Alford said. "But he did things the right way, and continues to do those to have a positive impact in leadership."
With the help of his former congressional aide Jeff Roe, Graves cultivated one of the most effective GOP political organizations in the state. Roe is now one of the most prominent political consultants in America, with his company Axiom Strategies helping GOP candidates in Missouri and across the country.
But even with a reputation as a sharp Republican political operator, Graves developed a close working relationship with Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement that Graves "has helped deliver some of our community's most important projects over the past generation."
"I wish him well as he closes his time in the United States Congress," Lucas said.
A political scramble
Graves' seat stretches from his home in Atchison County all the way to northeast Missouri. It's solidly Republican under a congressional map passed in 2025 and one approved in 2022.
But the new congressional plan aimed at ousting Cleaver put much more of Kansas City into the 6th District and made it more Democratic-leaning. Graves had previously opposed GOP redistricting efforts to go after Cleaver, contending it could backfire in wave Democratic election years.
"Looking at the new district map for the 6th District, it's probably still not super competitive, but maybe more competitive now that you don't have an incumbent running," Gracey said. "Because incumbency advantage is a very powerful thing. I think it would still be a long shot for a Democrat to win the district. But not as much of a long shot as it was with Sam Graves in the race."
Alford said that the new map could benefit a candidate who is well known in the Kansas City metro area. While northeast Missouri has a rich political history, it's sparsely popular compared to the western side of the 6th District.
"Whoever succeeds him in this 6th Congressional seat is going to have big shoes to fill, because it is a large swath – the entire top third of Missouri, basically above the Missouri River," said Alford.
Some Republican contenders emerged shortly after Graves' announcement. That included Chris Stigall, a northwest Missouri native who hosts a nationally syndicated show on the Salem News Channel.
He announced on X that he would be putting his radio career on hold to run for the seat.
"It's time to put up or shut up," Stigall said. "President Trump is going to need all the reinforcements he can get in Washington. And that's why I've decided I'm going to leave my show. And I'm going to enter the arena today."
Other contenders include Kansas City Councilman Nathan Willett and state Rep. Mazzie Christensen, who could join Kansas City resident Jim Ingram in the Republican primary. Willett is running for a state Senate seat encompassing Platte and Buchanan counties, while Christensen represents a rural northern Missouri House district.
Christensen confirmed to St. Louis Public Radio that she is considering running for the 6th District seat.
Willett said "today is about Sam."
"Anyone considering should be paying tribute to his 26 years of service and not talking about what they are going to do until next week," Willett said. "I do believe we should have a competitive GOP primary in North Missouri."
Josh Smead, Scot Pondelick and Matt Levine have filed to run as Democrats for the seat.
