Senator Bob Graham from Florida has officially filed papers to form an exploratory presidential campaign. The Floridian is a former two-term governor and has won five statewide victories in this key battleground state. He has also served in the leadership of his party's senatorial campaign committee.

He has served as chairman of the Senate intelligence committee and spent last year warning the nation that the Bush administration is not doing enough to protect homeland from terrorist attacks.

Senator Graham is the ninth Democrat to get in the race. While it is widely viewed that he is getting in the race too late for financial and organizational reasons, his entry does complicate the lives of many Democrats already in the race. He eliminates Senator John Edwards of being the only southerner in the race. His vote against the resolution authorizing war in Iraq will eliminate former Governor Howard Dean as the only candidate with executive experience who is against the war in Iraq. Being a Floridian will also cut into Senator Joe Lieberman's popularity in the state.

Senator Graham is from a wealthy landowning family in Florida. He waited to get into the race to recover from major heart surgery performed in January.