Richard P. Graves; Ran Against Gov. Knight in 1954

Richard P. Graves, once an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of California and before that a veteran director of the League of California Cities, died Tuesday at his home in Pebble Beach. He was 82 and a spokesman for the Paul Mortuary in Pacific Grove said he had suffered heart failure.

Graves was named executive director of the league in 1933, two years after receiving a master’s degree in public administration from UC Berkeley. In 1954 he launched a bid for governor against incumbent Goodwin J. Knight. Under California’s old cross-filing laws he also sought Republican votes but Knight trounced him in the June race by 600,000 votes, 2.3 million to 1.7 million.

Afterwards Graves moved to Philadelphia where he organized the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., a quasi-official group trying to keep industry from leaving the state. He later became a real estate developer and helped guide a 500-acre Philadelphia industrial park to completion.

He returned to California and in 1965 was named to head the West Coast office of the Tishman Realty & Construction Co. Later he joined Conrad Associates in Van Nuys and retired in 1983, moving to Northern California.

Survivors include his wife, Helen, a son, a daughter, a sister and several grandchildren. At his request, there will be no service.