# Chuck Graham > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chuck_Graham > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chuck_Graham.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Graham > Source revision: 1349831039 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the member of the North Carolina General Assembly, see [Charles Graham (American politician)](/source/Charles_Graham_(American_politician)). **Charles Graham** (February 24, 1965 – May 19, 2020) was an American politician in the [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) who represented the 19th Senate District in the [Missouri General Assembly](/source/Missouri_General_Assembly), which includes the city of [Columbia, Missouri](/source/Columbia,_Missouri), where he lived. ## Biography Graham was born in [St. Louis](/source/St._Louis), [Missouri](/source/Missouri). He graduated from the [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/source/University_of_Illinois_Urbana-Champaign) in 1987 with a [B.S.](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in journalism.[4] He was first elected to the [Missouri House of Representatives](/source/Missouri_House_of_Representatives) in 1996, and served there through 2005. He was first elected to the [Missouri State Senate](/source/Missouri_State_Senate) in 2004, and served as the party's Assistant Minority Floor Leader. He had been mentioned as a possible candidate in the [2006 United States Senate election](/source/2006_United_States_Senate_election_in_Missouri), but dropped out in support of then-State Auditor [Claire McCaskill](/source/Claire_McCaskill). He served on the following committees: - Education - Gubernatorial Appointments - Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence - Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws In 1998, Graham proposed a bill which would have permitted [death row](/source/Death_row) prisoners awaiting execution to donate organs (kidneys or bone marrow) in exchange for a commutation of their death sentence.[5][6][7] He was a strong supporter of [stem-cell research](/source/Stem-cell_research). On October 20, 2007, Graham was arrested by the [Columbia Police Department](/source/Columbia_Police_Department_(Missouri)) on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after rear-ending a vehicle near his home in Southwest Columbia. His license was subsequently suspended.[8] Graham was a [paraplegic](/source/Paraplegic) after he had an automobile accident at age 16. He received national attention during a 2008 televised campaign rally in Columbia. Then vice-presidential nominee [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden) asked him to stand up and was apparently unaware of his paralysis. When Biden realized that Graham could not stand up, he asked for the crowd to stand up for him.[9] On November 4, 2008, Graham lost his seat after being defeated in the general election by Republican [Kurt Schaefer](/source/Kurt_Schaefer). After the 2008 election, he announced that he had no future plans to run for public office. Graham died on May 19, 2020, at the age of 55.[10] ## References - *Official Manual, State of Missouri, 2005-2006.* Jefferson City, MO: Secretary of State. 1. ["Our Campaigns - MO State Senate 19 Race - Nov 02, 2004"](https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=178660) 1. ["Our Campaigns - MO State House 024 Race - Nov 05, 1996"](https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=254268) 1. ["Our Campaigns - MO State House 024 Race - Nov 05, 2002"](https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=25626) 1. [Votesmart.com.-Charles "Chunk" Graham](http://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/11494/charles-graham) 1. Strait, Jason (1998-03-16). ["Oregon Inmate Donation Proposed"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1347&dat=19980316&id=jvkSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jv0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5666,5162297). *[The Ledger](/source/The_Ledger)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) (AP). p. A10. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 1. Lowell, Jeffrey A. (1998-04-09). ["Proposed organ donation by death row inmates medically risky, coerced and immoral, expert says"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090511000050/http://record.wustl.edu/archive/1998/04-09-98/articles/analysis.html). Archived from [the original](http://record.wustl.edu/archive/1998/04-09-98/articles/analysis.html) on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 1. Meslin, Eric M. ["Death Row Organ Donation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120904014754/http://bioethics.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=79). [Indiana University](/source/Indiana_University). Archived from [the original](http://www.bioethics.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=79) on September 4, 2012. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 1. ["Text of Columbia Police Department report"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080829124624/http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Oct/20071024News043.asp). Archived from [the original](http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Oct/20071024News043.asp) on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-09-12. 1. jimmydean31432 (9 September 2008). ["Biden Gaffe: Asks a Gentleman in a Wheelchair to Stand Up"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRV5Y1JCGRI). [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SRV5Y1JCGRI) 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 October 2017. – via YouTube. 1. ["Chuck Graham, former state senator, dies at 55"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200521143243/https://www.komu.com/news/chuck-graham-former-state-senator-dies). Archived from [the original](https://www.komu.com/news/chuck-graham-former-state-senator-dies) on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020. ## External links - [Chuck Graham's Current Legislation](https://archive.today/20130203003721/http://www.statesurge.com/members/1506) - [Senate Member Information - Chuck Graham, D-19](http://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/members/mem19.htm) - [Chicago Tribune Article](https://web.archive.org/web/20160305150931/http://missouricures.com/news_032805ct.php) - [Sen. Chuck Graham arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated](https://archive.today/20130119142337/http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/10/21/sen-chuck-graham-arrested-suspicion-driving-while-/) - [Schaefer upsets Graham](http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Nov/20081105News003.asp)[dead link] --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chuck Graham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Graham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Graham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.