Bob Graham was a candidate for President of the United States in the 2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

He was also seriously considered by three successive presidential nominees (Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992 and Al Gore in 2000) as their running-mate, each time appearing on their finalist list.

He served as a chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and had a steady stream of TV appearances during the War on Terrorism, soon becoming one of the best-known politicians.

He also would appeal to the Democratic core due to his opposition to the early Iraq War (he voted against the authorization of use of military force in 2002[5]), and his pro-environmental record.

Senator Graham held a reputation as a bright man in politics, with a good sense of humor, and he was never implicated in any scandal.