 He failed in an attempt to win the seat of Monaro at the 1864–65 election but was elected to parliament unopposed at a subsequent by-election when it was found that the winner of the seat, the Premier, James Martin, had been elected to two seats.Grahame was defeated at the 1869–70 election but regained his seat at the subsequent election in 1872.He retired from the Legislative Assembly at the 1874–75 election and became a nominated life-time appointee in the Legislative Council.