Franks, Gary, 1953-

<p>As the first black Republican Representative to serve in the U.S. House in nearly six decades, the GOP promoted Gary Franks as its newest African–American spokesperson when he won his seat in Congress in 1990. Franks was a zealous champion of conservative causes, including welfare reform, opposition to affirmative action, and support for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. "The whole Republican philosophy is self–help," Franks avowed. "I believe in less government. I believe that we don't have to tax and spend constantly to maintain our society." Ultimately, Franks's difficulty connecting with his primarily middle–class white constituency, as well as his contentious fights with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and at times, with the leadership within his own party, contributed to his political defeat.</p>

<p>Gary Alvin Franks was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on February 9, 1953. He was the youngest of six children of Janery Petteway Franks and Richard Franks, a mill worker who left school in the sixth grade. Education was valued in the Franks home; all the children attended college, and three earned doctoral degrees. Gary Franks was an all–state basketball player at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury. In 1975 he earned a B.A. from Yale University. After working as an industrial relations agent for three companies in Connecticut, Franks started his own real estate firm in Waterbury. Inspired by his friend, Representative John Rowland of Connecticut, Franks entered politics to bring "new blood" to the Waterbury Republicans. Franks ran unsuccessfully for state comptroller in 1986. That same year, he was elected to the Waterbury board of aldermen, where he served until 1990. Franks married Donna Williams in 1990, gaining a stepdaughter, Azia. The couple's daughter, Jessica, was born in 1991, and their son, Gary, Jr., arrived in 1994.</p>

<p>In 1990, Rowland, whose district encompassed a mix of working–class and wealthy towns in western and central Connecticut, including Gary Franks's hometown of Waterbury, vacated his House seat to run for governor of Connecticut. Franks sought the Republican nomination based on his conservative politics, winning the GOP endorsement by beating out five candidates at the district's Republican convention in July 1990. In the general election, Franks faced former Democratic Representative and television anchor Toby Moffett. Formerly representing a neighboring district, Moffett was elected to Congress in 1974, serving four terms before losing bids for the U.S. Senate in 1982 and the Connecticut governor's post in 1986. The campaign drew national attention. Though a Republican had held the district since Rowland upset the Democratic incumbent in 1984, the seat was considered vulnerable. Registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans almost three to two. The district contained only a small black population (under 10 percent), and Franks's campaign did not emphasize his race. The campaign came down to a referendum on economic policy, as the northeastern economy spiraled toward recession. Franks ran on a conservative platform, promising no new taxes, supporting a cut in the capital gains tax, and advocating a constitutional amendment outlawing the desecration of the American flag. He also attacked the American welfare system for creating a "spiral of government dependency." Moffett tried to tie Franks's platform to former President Ronald W. Reagan's economic policies, claiming that the former administration had left the economy flat in its wake. The tight race drew high–powered endorsements and campaign appearances. President George H. W. Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, and Vice President Dan Quayle visited the district on Franks's behalf. Actor Robert Redford and former Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill campaigned for Moffett. Franks won the election with 52 percent of the vote. He was the first African–American Representative to be elected from Connecticut. Franks's unique position immediately attracted a barrage of media attention, making him one of the most recognizable Members of his freshman class.11 He won assignments on the Armed Services and Small Business committees, as well as on the Select Committee on Aging. </p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Franks was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. He is one of six children of a brass mill worker and a hospital dietary aide. He was elected president of his class at Sacred Heart High School.</p>

<p>Franks received his Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1975. He was captain of the basketball team and a free agent for the New Orleans Jazz NBA team.</p>

<p>After Yale, Franks worked in labor relations for 10 years at Continental Can Co., Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. and Cadbury Schweppes PLC.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Franks was the first African-American Republican to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since Oscar Stanton De Priest won his last term representing the South Side of Chicago in 1932. The other African-American Republican member of the U.S. House in the 1990s was J. C. Watts from Oklahoma. In his 1990 election, Franks defeated former 6th District congressman Toby Moffett, whom Franks portrayed as too liberal to represent the district. Both President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush campaigned for Franks.</p>

<p>Franks won in a three-way election in 1992 when Democratic candidates split between endorsed candidate Judge James Lawlor, a moderate from Waterbury, and A Connecticut Party candidate Lynn Taborsak, a pro-labor candidate from Danbury. James H. Maloney, then the Democratic state senator from Danbury, challenged Franks in 1994 and received 46% of the vote. In a 1996 rematch, Maloney ran again and defeated Franks, benefiting from President Bill Clinton's strong showing in Connecticut.</p>

<p>Frank's high visibility in congress led to speculation about a run for higher office. Franks declared his candidacy for U.S. Senate in 1998, challenging incumbent Senator Chris Dodd. He ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. Franks was defeated by Dodd in the election, receiving just 32 percent of the vote.</p>

<p>In 1999, Franks founded and became a partner in the public affairs firm, Gary Alvin Associates, LLC based in Washington, DC. Franks has served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and is currently a Visiting Professor at Hampton University and the University of Virginia He also served as president and chairman of Pacific Rim Trading & Investment Corp., a Fort Lauderdale group that recycles American scrap metal from America to China.</p>

FRANKS, Gary A., a Representative from Connecticut; born in Waterbury, New Haven County, Conn., February 9, 1953; B.A., Yale University, New Haven, Conn., 1975; member of the Waterbury County, Conn., board of aldermen, 1986-1990; unsuccessful candidate for comptroller of Connecticut in 1986; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Second and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1991-January 3, 1997); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Fifth Congress in 1996; unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1998.