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- James Joseph Graves (born September 27, 1953) is an American businessman and founder of the nationwide AmericInn hotel franchise. He was the Democratic Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota's 6th congressional district in 2012, challenging Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann. A native of Minnesota, Graves graduated from St. Cloud State University with a BS in education. He worked as a teacher prior to founding the AmericInn in Rogers, Minnesota in 1979. As CEO, Graves grew the hotel from a small business to a nationwide hotel franchise. In 1993 he also co-founded the Graves Hospitality Corporation in Minneapolis. His luxury Graves 601 Hotel is rated by Travel + Leisure as one of the world's top 500 accommodations. Graves gained national attention during his competitive congressional race against Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann in 2012. Despite being outspent by a 12 to 1 margin in Minnesota's most conservative district, Graves lost the general election by 4,300 votes, or less than one-percent. In 2013, he announced his candidacy for Minnesota's 6th congressional district. On May 31, 2013, Graves announced that he was suspending his campaign indefinitely. Graves was inducted into the Twin Cities Business Hall of Fame in 2015. (en)
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