WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, whose congressional district was remapped out from under him, announced Tuesday that he won’t be seeking any other public office now that he is not running for reelection this fall.
Politicos and supporters have suggested Graves might run for a variety of positions, from mayor-president in East Baton Rouge Parish to a spot on the utility-regulating Public Service Commission. Graves isn’t interested in elective office, at least for the time being, he said Tuesday.
“We would like to put to rest any speculation,” Graves said in a statement. “I look forward to stepping back from the growing divisiveness and polarization of political office; spending more time with normal people; reintroducing myself to some family and friends; working on long overdue projects, and working with those seeking to improve our state and promote opportunity. At this time, I will not be seeking the office of Mayor, Commissioner, PTA president, neighborhood association or dog catcher.”
Baton Rouge political consultant Mary-Patricia Wray, who has worked with former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, said Tuesday that stepping out of the fray and building up his brand as a policy specialist is a “really good decision” from a strategic point of view.
“Congressman Graves is protecting his future political aspirations,” Wray said, particularly “if he were to take his policy skillset into a think tank kind of a job.”
Graves also leaves office with at least $4.27 million in his campaign war chest as of March 31, according to the latest Federal Election Commission report. That money can be used to support candidates and political causes of his choosing or saved for a future run for office.
Much speculation surrounded Graves’ political future after he decided on June 14 not to run again for the U.S. House. Graves said he had thought about ways to force a campaign that he might win and thereby continue in Congress. But in the end, he said he realized that approach wasn’t fair to voters and to his congressional colleagues.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, asked Graves to reconsider running for reelection in the 6th Congressional District. Graves said he agreed to wait on his announcement until the House returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon after members worked last week in their respective districts.
Louisiana legislators had used Graves’ majority White, Baton Rouge-based 6th Congressional District to create a second majority-Black district, which made his reelection unlikely.
A third of Louisiana’s population is Black. The state has a history of polarized voting in which White voters have never elected a Black candidate to Congress.
Federal courts in November indicated that under those circumstances, Black constituents should have an opportunity in two of the state’s six congressional districts to elect someone they feel better represents their interests than the White Republicans elected in the districts drawn much the same since the 2010 Census.
Previous configurations, which were rejected by legislators in 2022, suggested that a second minority-majority was possible in a way that is compliant with the Voting Rights Act.
One of those maps would have pitted Johnson and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, against each other in the November election. Another would have put Letlow in a Black-majority district.
Fearing that the courts would redraw the maps from which the six representatives are elected, legislators convened in January to do it themselves.
Legislators wanted to protect Johnson, Scalise and Letlow. Graves, however, had angered several Republicans, including Scalise and Landry.
Legislators, at Landry’s insistence, chose to redirect Graves' district through predominantly Black neighborhoods from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Alexandria to Shreveport.
Graves, 52, began his political career in the 1990s as a Capitol Hill aide to now-retired U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin, a Republican, and for now-retired U.S. Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat. He also worked on congressional committees, including one chaired by now retired Sen. David Vitter, a Republican.
Graves returned to Baton Rouge in 2008 as head of the agency fighting coastal erosion in then-Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration.
When Bill Cassidy successfully ran for the U.S. Senate, Graves entered the U.S. House race to replace him in 2014, defeating former Gov. Edwin W. Edwards.
Graves' political power skyrocketed in 2023 as he became a key adviser to McCarthy on climate, energy and transportation issues. Graves said McCarthy was a gifted politician on strategy, policy, and fundraising.
“I do a better job on the policy stuff and was able to come in and complement him,” Graves told Jeremy Alford Friday on the LaPolitics Report podcast. “I really prefer doing the staff work.”
For months, Graves has repeatedly said his wheelhouse is legislative policy and he is not interested in being the city-parish's mayor-president.
Last week PSC Commissioner Craig Greene, R-Baton Rouge, announced that he would not run for reelection, prompting speculation about Graves seeking that position.
“The PSC district and jurisdiction is tempting,” Graves said, adding that much of the regulatory work involved energy, finance and transportation issues in which he's already well versed. But he decided against running at this point, he added.
Graves said he would continue to work full-time as a representative until his term is over on Dec. 31.
“The honor to represent south Louisiana in Congress was the only office I’ve ever sought, and it was a complete honor to deliver wins for our state," Graves said Tuesday in his announcement. "Listening to constituents has been the hallmark of our service. God has a plan. I intend to listen. Here’s to hoping he speaks loud and soon.”