Editing Rod Grams

{{Short description|American politician (1948–2013)}}
{{Infobox officeholder 
| image        = Rod Grams, Official Senate portrait.jpg
| jr/sr        = United States Senator
| state        = [[Minnesota]]
| term_start   = January 3, 1995
| term_end     = January 3, 2001
| predecessor  = [[David Durenberger]]
| successor    = [[Mark Dayton]]
| state2       = [[Minnesota]]
| district2    = {{ushr|MN|6|6th}}
| term_start2  = January 3, 1993
| term_end2    = January 3, 1995
| predecessor2 = [[Gerry Sikorski]]
| successor2   = [[Bill Luther]]
| birth_name   = Rodney Dwight Grams
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1948|2|4}}
| birth_place  = [[Princeton, Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2013|10|8|1948|2|4}}
| death_place  = [[Crown, Minnesota]], U.S.
| nationality  = [[United States|American]]
| party        = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse       = Christine Gunhus
| alma_mater   = [[Brown College (Minnesota)|Brown College]]<br>[[Anoka-Ramsey Community College]]<br>[[Carroll University]]
| signature    = Rod Grams signature.gif
}}

'''Rodney Dwight Grams''' (February 4, 1948 &ndash; October 8, 2013) was an American politician and television news anchor who served in both the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]]. A local news anchor, Grams became well known for working at [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul|Twin Cities]] station [[KMSP-TV]] from 1982 until 1991. He was a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]].

Grams was born on a farm in [[Princeton, Minnesota]], and worked at several other news stations throughout the [[Upper Midwest|Midwest]] and [[Great Plains]] before serving as KMSP's senior news anchor. After retiring from television, he launched a successful bid for Congress in [[Minnesota's 6th congressional district]] against embattled [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] incumbent [[Gerry Sikorski]] in [[1992 United States House of Representatives elections|1992]]. He served one term, opting to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican [[David Durenberger]] in 1994. He won the [[1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota|1994 Senate election]] and was defeated for reelection by [[Mark Dayton]] in [[2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota|2000]].

Grams sought election to his old Senate seat in [[2006 United States Senate election in Minnesota|2006]], but dropped out before the Republican primary. He also ran again for election to the House in [[Minnesota's 8th congressional district]] in [[2006 United States House of Representatives elections|2006]] as the Republican-endorsed candidate but lost to incumbent Democrat [[Jim Oberstar]].

==Early life==
Grams was born on a farm in [[Princeton, Minnesota]]. He attended [[Brown Institute]] (1966–1968), [[Anoka-Ramsey Community College]] (1970–1972), and [[Carroll University|Carroll College]] (1974–1975).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000367|title=Rod Grams profile at|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref>

Grams spent 23 years in television and radio broadcasting before launching a career in politics. From 1982 to 1991 he was the senior news anchor at [[KMSP-TV]] in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Before that, he worked as a news anchor/producer for [[KFBB-TV]] in [[Great Falls, Montana]]; [[WSAU-TV]] in [[Wausau, Wisconsin]]; and [[WIFR-TV]] in [[Rockford, Illinois]]. Before entering broadcasting, Grams worked at an engineering consulting firm for seven years. In 1985, he formed Sun Ridge Builders, a Twin Cities construction and residential development company, serving as its president and CEO. He was involved in architectural design and the use of solar energy in residential homes.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

==Early political career==
Grams launched his political career by winning the 1992 Republican nomination in [[Minnesota's 6th congressional district]]. He defeated Democratic incumbent [[Gerry Sikorski]] in the general election. During the campaign, Grams benefited from high name recognition in the district—from years as news anchor at [[KMSP-TV]]—and Sikorski's involvement in the [[House banking scandal]].{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} He served in the [[103rd United States Congress|103rd Congress]] as a member of the House of Representatives, and in the [[104th United States Congress|104th]], [[105th United States Congress|105th]], and [[106th United States Congress|106th congresses]] as a member of the [[U.S. Senate]].

==U.S. Senate==
After [[David Durenberger]] announced he would not seek reelection, Grams surprised many by announcing, just months into his first term in the U.S. House, that he would run for the Senate. Grams faced opposition for the Republican endorsement from State Senator [[Gen Olson]], [[Bert McKasy]] (Durenberger's former chief of staff), and [[Doug McFarland]]. During the party endorsement process, the Grams campaign closely aligned itself with supporters of [[Allen Quist]], who was challenging incumbent Governor [[Arne Carlson]] for reelection in the 1994 [[Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1994|gubernatorial race]]. Weeks before the state Republican convention, McFarland dropped out of the Senate race after endorsing Quist for governor and joining his ticket as Quist's running mate.

After numerous ballots at the convention in St. Paul, Grams won the Republican endorsement over Olson and McKasy. He also won the Republican primary against [[Arne Carlson|Arne Carlson's]] Lieutenant Governor [[Joanell Dyrstad]], who had been replaced as his running mate by State Senator [[Joanne Benson]]. In [[United States Senate election in Minnesota, 1994|the general election against]] Democratic Farmer Labor candidate [[Ann Wynia]] and [[Independence Party of Minnesota|Independence Party]] candidate [[Dean Barkley]], Grams won, 49% to 44%.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. SENATE ELECTION 1994 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-11-10-1994314097-story.html |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=10 November 1994 |access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

Grams ran for reelection in 2000, losing to [[Mark Dayton]]. During the campaign, Grams's wife Christine Gunhus was revealed to have written anonymous disparaging emails about Grams's potential Democratic rival [[Mike Ciresi]] from her home computer.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Declan McCullagh |url=https://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/06/44567 |title=The Wrong Way to Do Dirty Tricks |magazine=Wired |publisher=Wired.com |access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref> She received a fine and suspended sentence for violating political advertising regulations.<ref>{{citation |url=|title=Poli Sigh. (Christine Gunhus gets fine and suspended sentence)|publisher=|date=2001-08-01|access-date=|url-status=}}</ref> The Grams campaign also ran a commercial during the campaign featuring Grams's mother, Audrey Grams, that ended with her saying, "Uffda, vote for Rod."

==Post-Senate career==
After his 2000 reelection defeat, Grams went back into private business and in 2004 became the owner of three radio stations in [[Little Falls, Minnesota]].<ref>
[http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA417915.html?display=Business Changing Hands - 5/17/2004 - Broadcasting & Cable<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126035502/http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA417915.html?display=Business |date=2006-11-26 }}</ref> He attempted a political comeback in [[2006 United States Senate election in Minnesota|the 2006 U.S. Senate campaign]]. He sought the GOP nomination for his former Senate seat, facing [[Mark Kennedy (politician)|Mark Kennedy]] and [[Gil Gutknecht]]. After a poor showing early in the endorsement process,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2006/campaign/congress/grams|title=MPR: Campaign 2006: U.S. Congress: 8th District: Rod Grams|publisher=Minnesota.publicradio.org|access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref> Grams dropped his Senate candidacy and ran in the [[2006 United States House elections|2006 U.S. House election]], challenging the incumbent [[Jim Oberstar]] in [[Minnesota's 8th congressional district]]. Oberstar defeated Grams handily.

Grams remained active in politics and interested in running for public office. In 2008, he considered challenging incumbent [[Norm Coleman]] for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination but was too busy in his private life to make a run, saying, "And my wife (Chris) would have killed me if I would have, because of some things that we're doing."<ref name="hometownsource1">{{cite web|url=http://hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6016&Itemid=29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019183931/http://hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6016&Itemid=29|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-10-19|title=from ECM Publishers, Inc.|publisher=Hometown Source|access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref> It also became unclear whether Grams would run as a Republican. In an interview, he expressed disappointment at the perceived failings of the party, going as far as to wonder whether he could still call himself a Republican or vote for Republican candidates.<ref name="hometownsource1"/>

Grams considered a 2010 run for governor of Minnesota, saying, "I'm so damn unhappy with the Republicans right now ... I'm so unhappy with the candidates that we have I could puke. I wanted to get out there and mix it up."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mnpublius.com/2008/07/rod-grams-thinking-about-running-for-governor/ |title=Rod Grams Thinking About Running for Governor{{!}} |access-date=2010-03-28 |archive-date=2010-03-28 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20100328150104/http://mnpublius.com/2008/07/rod-grams-thinking-about-running-for-governor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> But Grams endorsed Republican [[Tom Emmer]] in the 2010 campaign for governor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2010/02/grams_backs_emm.shtml|title=Grams backs Emmer|publisher=Minnesota.publicradio.org |date=2010-02-01|access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fox21online.com/news/grams-endorses-emmer-minnesota-governor |title=News &#124; FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT |publisher=Fox21online.com |access-date=2013-10-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227005358/http://www.fox21online.com/news/grams-endorses-emmer-minnesota-governor |archive-date=2013-12-27 }}</ref> Emmer lost the election to Mark Dayton.

==Illness and death==
On September 4, 2013, it was announced that Grams had been battling [[colon cancer]] since 2012 and was receiving [[hospice]] care at his home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/local/222438121.html|title=Former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams, battling cancer, is in hospice care|publisher=Star Tribune|date=2013-09-04|access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref> He died on October 8, 2013, aged 65, at his home in [[Crown, Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Joey Mcleister, Star Tribune|url=http://www.startribune.com/local/227064311.html|title=Former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams dies of cancer|publisher=Star Tribune|access-date=2013-10-09}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota 8th Congressional District Election 2006}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = [[Jim Oberstar]] (incumbent)
  |votes      = 180,670
  |percentage = 63.61
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams
  |votes      = 97,683
  |percentage = 34.39
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota U.S. Senate Election 2000}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = [[Mark Dayton]]
  |votes      = 1,181,553
  |percentage = 48.83
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams (incumbent)
  |votes      = 1,047,474
  |percentage = 43.29
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independence Party of Minnesota
  |candidate  = Jim Gibson
  |votes      = 140,583
  |percentage = 5.81
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota U.S. Senate Election 1994}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams
  |votes      = 869,653
  |percentage = 49.05
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US)
  |candidate  = Ann Wynia
  |votes      = 781,860
  |percentage = 44.10
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independence Party of Minnesota
  |candidate  = [[Dean Barkley]]
  |votes      = 95,400
  |percentage = 5.38
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota U.S. Senate Election 1994 - Republican Primary}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams
  |votes      = 269,931
  |percentage = 58.17
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = [[Joanell Dyrstad]]
  |votes      = 163,205
  |percentage = 35.17
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = [[Harold Stassen]]
  |votes      = 22,430
  |percentage = 4.83
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota 6th Congressional District Election 1992}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams
  |votes      = 133,564
  |percentage = 44.37
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US)
  |candidate  = [[Gerry Sikorski]] (incumbent)
  |votes      = 100,016
  |percentage = 33.23
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Reform Party of the United States of America
  |candidate  = [[Dean Barkley]]
  |votes      = 48,329
  |percentage = 16.06
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Minnesota 6th Congressional District Election 1992 - Republican Primary}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Rod Grams
  |votes      = 11,818
  |percentage = 68.62
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Jim Hillegass
  |votes      = 5,404
  |percentage = 31.38
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* The  [http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00670.xml Senatorial records] of Rod Grams are available for research use at the [http://www.mnhs.org Minnesota Historical Society.]

==External links==
{{CongLinks | congbio = G000367 }}
*{{C-SPAN|26478}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[David Durenberger]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[List of United States Senators from Minnesota|U.S. Senator]] from [[Minnesota]]<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 1]])|years=[[1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota|1994]], [[2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota|2000]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mark Kennedy (politician)|Mark Kennedy]]}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box | before=[[Gerry Sikorski]] | state=Minnesota | district=6 | years=1993–1995| after=[[Bill Luther]]}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box|state=Minnesota|class=1|before=[[David Durenberger]]|after=[[Mark Dayton]]|years=1995–2001|alongside=[[Paul Wellstone]]|}}
{{s-end}}

{{USSenMN}}
{{MNRepresentatives}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 103rd–106th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Minnesota]]}}
{{USCongRep/MN/103}}
{{USCongRep/MN/104}}
{{USCongRep/MN/105}}
{{USCongRep/MN/106}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grams, Rod}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:American Lutherans]]
[[Category:American television news anchors]]
[[Category:Carroll College (Montana) alumni]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer in Minnesota]]
[[Category:People from Princeton, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Lutherans]]
[[Category:21st-century United States senators]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]