ct_sen_franks
REP. GARY FRANKS
Age: 45 Born: February 9, 1953; Waterbury, CT Education: Yale University, BA, 1975. (1972) Military: none (1969-75) Family: Married Donna, 1 child and 1 stepchild Hometown: Waterbury, CT Religion: Baptist Career: US Representative (1990-1996). Waterbury Alderman (1985-1989); Real Estate Investor, GAF Realty Company; Industrial Relations Agent |
• Former three (3) term Congressman Gary Franks was elected in 1990 when then-Rep. John Rowland returned to the state to run for Governor. He was the first black Republican elected since 1935.
• Many national GOP leaders hoped FranksÂ' victory would raise the credibility and visibility of the party within the Black community. But the freshman legislator was starting his term with some political baggage; Franks opposed the 1990 Civil Rights Act which angered many Black leaders.
• FranksÂ' House career was plagued by staffing and personal legal problems. Several staffers left his office in surprise shake-ups and in situations of "bad chemistry". In 1992, FranksÂ' debt, not including mortgages on four pieces of CT real estate, totaled between $61,000 and $215,000 in unsecured personal loans. He blamed this on the downturn in the real estate market.
• In August 1993, the wholly-Democratic Congressional Black Caucus voted to exclude Franks from their meeting after the first 30-minutes. While he rarely agreed with their positions, Franks threatened to resign but never did. By the end of his term, he further angered civil rights leaders by sponsoring a bill to end black-majority Congressional districts.
• In 1994 another black Republican, OklahomaÂ's J.C. Watts, was elected to the House. While Watts declined to join the Black Caucus, Franks was a member until his defeat in 1996.
• Franks proposed some substantial legislation including a rogram to replace welfare checks with debit cards and a proposal ordering the death penalty for any carjackings resulting in a death.
• Franks represented ConnecticutÂ's 5th Congressional District until 1996, when he was by his 1994 Primary challenger, Democrat James Maloney.
• After FranksÂ' defeat in 1996, Rep. William Clay (D-MO) called the former Congressman, a "Negro Dr. Kevorkian, a pariah, who gleefully assists in suicidal conduct to destroy his own race".