Rep. Sam Graves to retire

Graves won his first race for state representative in 1992 and was elected state senator in 1994. He was elected to represent Missouri’s sixth congressional district in 2000. He went on to lead the House Small Business Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Experiences gathered from being a lifelong general aviation pilot and a small business owner uniquely qualified him to head both, having developed a good understanding of the aviation system and aviation businesses. 

During his time on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Graves was involved in some of the nation’s highest-profile debates, like the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2019 and 2020, Amtrak service, and the drive to improve air safety regulations after the tragic midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2025. Graves is known as the leading GA expert in the House of, and he was a strong advocate for third class medical reform, now known as BasicMed. He led in developing the first ever GA title in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which will ensure such a title in future FAA legislation. He pushed through a significant increase in GA airport funding, and most recently, he ensured GA pilots had a voice in the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act, which addressed the Washington, D.C. midair. The ALERT Act, which Graves and others introduced, would authorize the use of portable collision avoidance technology for GA pilots to meet a 2031 equipage mandate, and it would also ensure that ADS-B data is used for its intended purpose, aviation safety, and airspace efficiencies, and not as a fee collection tool.

Flying within our nation’s aviation system ensured Graves carried the knowledge and experience to navigate the political landscape in making the necessary improvements. Graves owns a North American T–6 Texan, a World War II-era military trainer; and a Curtiss P–40 Warhawk, an all-metal fighter-bomber. Graves has logged more than 5,000 flying hours.  

Graves has also received numerous honors over the course of his career, including AOPA’s highest honor, the Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Jr. Award, in 2011 and in 2024 for his passion and commitment to GA.

In a statement, Graves said, “Public service isn’t easy. It takes hard work, humility, a thick skin and a willingness to fight for what’s right.”

AOPA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon said, “Sam Graves knows firsthand how vital general aviation is to our nation’s aviation ecosystem. He has been one of the strongest advocates for GA to ever serve in Congress and his passion for promoting good, commonsense policies has not only benefited pilots and aircraft owners but all Americans.”