Bob Franks
Encyclopedia
Robert Douglas "Bob" Franks (September 21, 1951 – April 9, 2010) was a Republican
politician. He was a former U.S. Representative
from New Jersey
.
, Franks grew up in Glen Rock
, then for a span in suburban Chicago
, Illinois
, and then returned to the Garden State, moving to the town of Summit
. He graduated from DePauw University
in 1973 and from law school at Southern Methodist University
in 1976. He had been involved in Republican politics while growing up, including the races of Senator Charles H. Percy
. As a teenager, he returned to his home state. While in Summit, New Jersey
, he became involved with the Young Republicans
and the Kean for Assembly races. Franks helped to found the Union County Young Republicans Franks then served as an aide, consultant and campaign manager to several congressman including Jim Courter
and Dean Gallo
as well as Governor
Thomas Kean
. The primary profession of Franks, however, was that of a newspaper publisher.
In 1979, Franks was a candidate for Union County Freeholder when State Senator Peter J. McDonough resigned. Assemblyman Donald DiFrancesco
ran for the Senate, and Franks switched to the Assembly race. He defeated Marie Kissebeth, the Berkley Heights mayor, at the Republican convention.
When he was redistricted into the 22nd Legislative District
, a Union/Essex district in 1981 and Essex Republicans demanded an Assembly seat, Franks survived and the Union Republicans dumped another incumbent, William J. Maguire. He was re-elected in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1991.
While in the Assembly, he also served two terms as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
, 1987–89 and 1990-92. In the second term, finding widespread voter discontent with Governor Jim Florio's tax hikes, he led the Republican Party to winning veto-proof majorities in both houses of the Legislature.
He was succeeded in the Assembly by Alan Augustine
.
In 1992, Franks was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives (succeeding Matt Rinaldo), and served four terms in the House from 1993 to 2001. While he was a congressman, he was a member of the Transportation Committee and involved with transportation issues. He was known as a budget "hawk" and was a strong supporter of the Contract with America, including voluntary terms limits.
In 2000, Franks gave up his House seat (true to his "term limits" vow) to become the Republican candidate to the open Senate
seat from New Jersey. However, he was defeated by Democrat
Jon Corzine
.
In this race Franks was far outspent by Corzine, a former CEO, by 48 million dollars, yet still was the closest the Republicans have come to winning a New Jersey United States Senate seat since they last won one in 1972
. He was defeated for the Republican nomination for New Jersey governor in 2001 by Bret Schundler
, who ran on a more conservative platform.
Franks entered the 2001 governor's race reluctantly, following the withdrawal of former Governor Donald DiFrancesco
, after having previous announced that he would not be a candidate. It is believed this late start cost him the primary as Schundler had a big head start in campaigning and fundraising.
Franks remained involved in New Jersey politics and was often mentioned as a potential candidate for high offices, but Franks discouraged such speculation. Many thought that his next public office, if any, would have been appointive.
Franks served as President of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey. There was speculation he might run again for Congress when his successor, Mike Ferguson, announced in 2007 that he would not seek reelection in 2008. However, Franks then declined to run, saying "Representing the people of Central New Jersey in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001 was one of the important and rewarding experiences of my life; however I find my work at the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey very fulfilling and I'm enjoying nights and weekends with my family... I have no desire to run for Congress next year."
Franks died of cancer
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City
on April 9, 2010.
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Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician. He was a former U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Biography
Born in Hackensack, New JerseyHackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
, Franks grew up in Glen Rock
Glen Rock, New Jersey
Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,601.-History:...
, then for a span in suburban Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and then returned to the Garden State, moving to the town of Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
. He graduated from DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in 1973 and from law school at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in 1976. He had been involved in Republican politics while growing up, including the races of Senator Charles H. Percy
Charles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
. As a teenager, he returned to his home state. While in Summit, New Jersey
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, he became involved with the Young Republicans
Young Republicans
The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states....
and the Kean for Assembly races. Franks helped to found the Union County Young Republicans Franks then served as an aide, consultant and campaign manager to several congressman including Jim Courter
Jim Courter
James Andrew "Jim" Courter is an American Republican Party politician, lawyer and businessman. He is a resident of Hackettstown, New Jersey.-Biography:He was born October 14, 1941 in Montclair, New Jersey...
and Dean Gallo
Dean Gallo
Dean Anderson Gallo was an American Republican party politician, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing for nearly ten years....
as well as Governor
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
. The primary profession of Franks, however, was that of a newspaper publisher.
In 1979, Franks was a candidate for Union County Freeholder when State Senator Peter J. McDonough resigned. Assemblyman Donald DiFrancesco
Donald DiFrancesco
Donald Thomas DiFrancesco was the 51st Governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002 by virtue of his status as President of the New Jersey Senate, the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature....
ran for the Senate, and Franks switched to the Assembly race. He defeated Marie Kissebeth, the Berkley Heights mayor, at the Republican convention.
When he was redistricted into the 22nd Legislative District
22nd Legislative District (New Jersey)
New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District is one of 40 in the state, covering the Middlesex County municipality of Dunellen Borough and Middlesex Borough, the Somerset County localities of Green Brook Township and North Plainfield Borough, and the Union County municipalities of Clark Township,...
, a Union/Essex district in 1981 and Essex Republicans demanded an Assembly seat, Franks survived and the Union Republicans dumped another incumbent, William J. Maguire. He was re-elected in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1991.
While in the Assembly, he also served two terms as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
New Jersey Republican State Committee
The New Jersey Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the Republican Party in New Jersey. The Committee was founded in 1880. The party is led by Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee Sam Raia of Saddle River, New Jersey.-Membership:...
, 1987–89 and 1990-92. In the second term, finding widespread voter discontent with Governor Jim Florio's tax hikes, he led the Republican Party to winning veto-proof majorities in both houses of the Legislature.
He was succeeded in the Assembly by Alan Augustine
Alan Augustine
Alan M. Augustine was an American Republican Party politician who served for 30 years as Mayor of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, councilman, freeholder and in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 22nd Legislative District, which included the Union County communities of Fanwood,...
.
In 1992, Franks was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives (succeeding Matt Rinaldo), and served four terms in the House from 1993 to 2001. While he was a congressman, he was a member of the Transportation Committee and involved with transportation issues. He was known as a budget "hawk" and was a strong supporter of the Contract with America, including voluntary terms limits.
In 2000, Franks gave up his House seat (true to his "term limits" vow) to become the Republican candidate to the open Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat from New Jersey. However, he was defeated by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
.
In this race Franks was far outspent by Corzine, a former CEO, by 48 million dollars, yet still was the closest the Republicans have come to winning a New Jersey United States Senate seat since they last won one in 1972
United States Senate election, 1972
The 1972 United States Senate election was an election for the United States Senate coinciding with the landslide re-election of Richard Nixon. However, Nixon's victory did not help his allies in the Senate, and the Democrats increased their majority by two seats...
. He was defeated for the Republican nomination for New Jersey governor in 2001 by Bret Schundler
Bret Schundler
Bret D. Schundler is an American politician from New Jersey. He served in the Cabinet of Governor Chris Christie as New Jersey Commissioner of Education until he was dismissed on August 27, 2010....
, who ran on a more conservative platform.
Franks entered the 2001 governor's race reluctantly, following the withdrawal of former Governor Donald DiFrancesco
Donald DiFrancesco
Donald Thomas DiFrancesco was the 51st Governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002 by virtue of his status as President of the New Jersey Senate, the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature....
, after having previous announced that he would not be a candidate. It is believed this late start cost him the primary as Schundler had a big head start in campaigning and fundraising.
Franks remained involved in New Jersey politics and was often mentioned as a potential candidate for high offices, but Franks discouraged such speculation. Many thought that his next public office, if any, would have been appointive.
Franks served as President of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey. There was speculation he might run again for Congress when his successor, Mike Ferguson, announced in 2007 that he would not seek reelection in 2008. However, Franks then declined to run, saying "Representing the people of Central New Jersey in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001 was one of the important and rewarding experiences of my life; however I find my work at the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey very fulfilling and I'm enjoying nights and weekends with my family... I have no desire to run for Congress next year."
Franks died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on April 9, 2010.
Electoral history
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"|+2000 U.S. Senate Race — Republican Primary
!|Candidate
!|Pct
!
!|Candidate
!|Pct
!
!|Candidate
!|Pct
|-
|
|36%
|
|William Gormley
William Gormley
William "Bill" Gormley is an attorney and former New Jersey State Senator who served from 1982 to 2007, where he represented the 2nd Legislative District....
|34%
|
|Others
|30%
|