Franks, Gary, 1953-

Gary Alvin Franks (born February 9, 1953) is an American politician who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut for six years, from 1991 until 1997. He is the first African-American elected to the U.S. Congress from Connecticut, the first modern black conservative elected to Congress, and the first black Republican elected in sixty years. Franks ran for the United States Senate in 1998, losing to incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.

Franks was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. He was elected president of his class at Sacred Heart High School, matriculating to Yale University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1975. He was captain of the basketball team and a free agent for the New Orleans Jazz NBA team. Franks worked in labor relations for 10 years at Continental Can Co., Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. and Cadbury Schweppes PLC before founding his own real estate firm in Waterbury. Franks served as a member of the Waterbury board of aldermen from 1986 to 1990. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Connecticut comptroller in 1986.

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