The son of a former Florida state senator, Bob Graham got involved in politics at an early age, being elected class president at Miami Senior High School in the 1950s. Prior to dropping out of the 2004 race for the Democratic president nomination, Graham had never lost a bid for public office.

He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1966 and to the state Senate in 1970. In 1978, he was elected Florida governor, a position he held until 1987.

After working as governor, Mr. Graham served 18 years in the US Senate. He served for a decade on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which he chaired during and after the 9/11 attacks and throughout the run-up to the Iraq War.

Mr. Graham has been involved with the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation and Terrorism, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.

Mr. Graham founded two centers to train future political leaders, located at the University of Miami and the University of Florida, named the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.

Mr. Graham now runs The Graham Companies, a family business that has developed Miami Lakes from his family’s farm land.

Mr. Graham spoke about his career and his various involvements in political and civic affairs with Miami Today staff writer Scott Blake in his Miami Lakes office.