Meet Jim Graham

Jim Graham is an engineer, educator, and entrepreneur running for Congress. He believes this kind of problem solving is exactly what's missing in Congress. An engineer is trained to work the problem, and ignore the noise. He will bring this attitude to Washington — engineering solutions for the heartland.

Born in Indianapolis , Jim was raised on small farms in Martin, Sullivan, and Monroe Counties in Southern Indiana. His mother died of nephritis when he was five, and as Jim notes, that's not something you ever forget. Times got tough for the family so part of his childhood was spent separated from his siblings while the family got back on their feet. He saw firsthand how important access to healthcare, economic stability and support services for families are to working people—and those values have guided him ever since.

Jim earned a scholarship to Rose Polytechnic Institute (now Rose-Hulman), and later completed graduate studies in electrical engineering at Purdue. He began his engineering career at Delco-Remy, a division of General Motors, before transitioning into academia. He went on to a distinguished career as a professor, including as Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Louisville. In the final phase of his academic career his research was funded by the Department of Homeland Security to find better ways to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyberattacks.

After retiring from academia, Jim founded a cybersecurity company. Through that work, he saw just how many barriers regular people face when trying to build something of their own—especially when the system favors big corporations.

Throughout his life, Jim has built a barn, raised 4H beef cattle, helped General Motors develop advanced engine control technology that significantly reduced auto emissions, built systems for the Department of Homeland Security, had products tested by the Air Force Institute of Technology, married the love of his life, Cheryl, helped raise his son David, and has hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with David (and back up the next day). 

With deep roots in Southern Indiana and decades of experience in engineering, education, and innovation, Jim Graham is running to bring practical solutions, honest leadership, and working-class values back to Washington.