Travis Grantham

Last updated
Travis Grantham
Travis Grantham by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Speaker pro tempore of the Arizona House of Representatives
In office
January 11, 2021 January 13, 2025
Years of service1999-present
Rank US-O5 insignia.svg Lieutenant Colonel
Unit 161st Air Refueling Wing.png 161st Air Refueling Wing
Battles/wars Operation Enduring Freedom

Travis Grantham (born February 24, 1979) is an American politician and a Republican former member of the Arizona House of Representatives elected to represent District 14 in 2022. He previously represented District 12 from 2017 to 2023. Grantham was also a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the 9th congressional district of Arizona.

Contents

Early life

Grantham was born on February 24th, 1979 in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he attended Scottsdale Public Schools and graduated from Scottsdale Community College. Grantham is a third-generation Arizonan. Grantham's family owned a cattle ranch, and his father was the founder and CEO of an aviation business named International Air Response, Inc. (IAR). Grantham attended Arizona State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in agribusiness. During his time at Arizona State, he enlisted in the Air National Guard, ultimately achieving the rank of staff sergeant before commissioning as an officer out of college. [1]

Elections

In 2012, Grantham ran for the U.S. House in the newly drawn 9th district. He was defeated by Vernon Parker in the 7-way Republican primary, receiving 18.4% of the vote and coming in 3rd. [2]

In 2016, Grantham and incumbent Eddie Farnsworth defeated LaCinda Lewis in the Republican primary for Arizona's 12th legislative district. They were unopposed in the general election. [3]

Legislative activity

In 2018 Grantham sponsored a proposed state constitutional amendment which would have allowed the legislature to place candidates for the US Senate on the ballot. [4] Also in 2018 he opposed the extension of a sales tax used to support education saying, "We're not addressing what I believe to be one of the main issues of the bill - which is hey, there's these buckets in the bill that money is dropped into them and the schools have to spend the money as the bill's written." [5] In 2021 he served as speaker pro tempore of the House. [6] In April 2021, he made news after referring "colored people" and demanding that a black legislator be "sat down" during a debate about a voting rights bill. [7]

Background and personal information

Grantham is a current Lieutenant Colonel in the 161st Air Refueling Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard, [1] in which capacity he has deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. [8] Grantham is trained on the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, in which he has over 3,000 flight hours. [1]

Grantham is married to Patricia Grantham and has two daughters, Katelyn and Kristyn. The family lives in Gilbert, Arizona. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "House Member". www.azleg.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  2. "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2012 Primary Election August 28, 2012" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  3. "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2016 General Election November 8, 2016" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  4. "Arizona Lawmaker Wants to Do Away With US Senate Primary Vote". Arizona Public Media. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  5. Christie, Bob (2018-03-23). "Arizona Lawmakers Approve Education Sales Tax Extension - AZPM". news.azpm.org. Associated Press . Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  6. Kassandra Lau. "House Republicans' priorities for 2021 Arizona legislative session - AZPM". news.azpm.org. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  7. Massie, Graeme (2021-04-23). "Arizona lawmaker uses racist language and demands Black colleague be 'sat down' in clash over voting rights bill". The Independent. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  8. "Q&A: Travis Grantham on Congress - The Arizona State Press". www.statepress.com. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
Arizona House of Representatives
Preceded by Speaker pro tempore of the Arizona House of Representatives
2021–2025
Succeeded by