Rod Grams

Grams was born on a farm in Princeton, Minnesota. He attended Brown Institute (1966–68), Anoka-Ramsey Community College (1970–72), and Carroll College (1974–75).[1]

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.

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. He served in the 103rd Congress as a member of the House of Representatives, and in the 104th, 105th, and 106th congresses as a member of the 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 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's Lieutenant Governor Joanell Dyrstad, who had been replaced as his running mate by State Senator Joanne Benson. In the general election against Democratic Farmer Labor candidate Ann Wynia and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley, Grams won, 49% to 44%.[2]

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.[3] She received a fine and suspended sentence for violating political advertising regulations.[4] 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."

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.[5] He attempted a political comeback in the 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. He sought the GOP nomination for his former Senate seat, facing Mark Kennedy and Gil Gutknecht. After a poor showing early in the endorsement process,[6] Grams dropped his Senate candidacy and ran in the 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."[7] 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.[7]

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."[8] But Grams endorsed Republican Tom Emmer in the 2010 campaign for governor.[9][10] Emmer lost the election to Mark Dayton.

On September 4, 2013, it was announced that Grams had been battling colon cancer since 2012 and was receiving hospice care at his home.[11] He died on October 8, 2013, aged 65, at his home in Crown, Minnesota.[12]

• The Senatorial records of Rod Grams are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Appearances on C-SPAN