In a congressional race crowded with Republicans craving to brand themselves as “Washington outsiders,” Garret Graves stands alone as a candidate unabashedly proud of his time on Capitol Hill.
Graves, a Republican, began his foray into politics at an early age, securing an internship in Washington, D.C., with former Democratic Sen. John Breaux while studying engineering at Louisiana Tech University.
That internship would lead to an extensive career in Congress that entailed advisory work on the House Transportation Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. When Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana in 2005, Graves began work with Sen. David Vitter on recovery efforts.
Graves said he has worked on issues ranging from foreign affairs to national defense.
“In the last five or six years that I worked up there, we delivered some of the biggest victories that, I believe, are in Louisiana’s history,” Graves said.
Graves’ most notable position, however, was in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration, serving as chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, a position he occupied until February this year.
Graves oversaw the restructuring of several state agencies that dealt with various aspects of Louisiana’s coast, integrating various leaders into the streamlined CPRA.
In his role, Graves led disaster recovery efforts for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and handled major negotiations with BP in the wake of 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“We created an organizational structure that other states and countries look at as a model, and actually a model of efficiency, as opposed to, I think, normally, people look at Louisiana as a model for bad ideas,” Graves said.
Graves remains firm in his belief that Congress is not the place to send someone for “on-the-job training,” and he said it would probably take a newcomer around eight years to understand the workings of the House of Representatives.
“I can list out probably hundreds of laws that I’ve written or been involved in writing and drafting,” Graves said. “I don’t think it makes sense to send somebody up there that can only imagine what it’s going to be like.”
Graves also claimed several of his competitors have displayed a fundamental ignorance concerning their potential job.
“I’ve already heard and seen candidates say things out there that are contrary to reality when it comes to everything from the rules of the Congress to things that are complete rhetoric — that couldn’t happen for various constitutional or other reasons,” Graves said.
Graves does not shy away from his accomplishments in the Jindal administration, despite the potential political ramifications of being associated with the currently unpopular governor.
“I would not run from those things. I think they were great accomplishments,” Graves said of his time in the CPRA.
According to a New York Times Upshot/Kaiser Family Foundation poll from Wednesday, Jindal has only a 40 percent approval rating in Louisiana – the same as President Barack Obama’s in the state.
Graves, currently one of eight Republicans in the race, acknowledged candidates are going to have to adhere to a certain set of values to win over the voters of the conservative 6th District.
“What you’re going to hear people talking about, it primarily is rhetoric,” Graves said, referencing GOP talking points like repealing Obamacare and “pro-family agendas.”
Graves said he instead plans to tailor his campaign to suit the specific needs of south Louisiana.
On social issues, Graves is pro-life and a proponent of traditional marriage.
“I’m here to represent the people,” Graves said. “For me personally, I’m married, that’s what works, and that’s what our constitution says.”
Graves is also a supporter of the Second Amendment and said he has concerns about the federal government’s encroachment on gun rights.
“Some of the efforts of the federal government today do not
correspond with the true source of the threat that’s out there,” Graves said.
Graves also advocated for an increased emphasis on skilled labor and technical degrees in Louisiana’s higher education system.
“Our system right now is geared towards having everyone basically have this common goal line of getting a four-year or an advanced degree and going on to some type of white collar job,” Graves said. “You have a number of students, and whether they realize this in sixth grade or they realize this as a freshman in college, they’re not wired to get to that goal line.”