Trent Franks
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Trent Franks
Trent Franks (born June 19 1957), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 2nd District of Arizona (map (http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/az02_109.gif)). The district takes in the entire northwestern corner of the state, including Kingman and Lake Havasu City, but most of its vote is cast in the Phoenix suburbs.
He was born in Uravan, Colorado, a company town and now a Superfund site. He was educated at Ottawa University. His only previous experience in elective officewas serving one term in the Arizona House of Representatives, from 1985 to 1987. He was an assistant to Governor Evan Mecham during Mecham's brief term. As executive director of the Arizona Family Research Institute, a right-wing think tank, he authored a bill to give a state income tax credit to help pay for private school tuition. He was also president of Liberty Petroleum Corporation, a small oil exploration company.
When 3rd District Congressman Bob Stump decided to retire after 13 terms, Franks entered the race to succeed him. The district had been renumbered the 2nd after redistricting gave Arizona two additional seats. He narrowly defeated Stump's chief of staff, Lisa Atkins, whom Stump had endorsed as his successor. The district is so heavily Republican that his victory in November was a foregone conclusion. In 2004, he faced unusually strong primary competition from the more moderate Rick Murphy, but eventually defeated him, setting him on track for reelection. Ironically, one of his colleagues in Congress is John Shadegg, who defeated Franks in the primary for the 4th District in 1994.
He is attacked by some for a number of controverisal votes. He was one of 18 members who voted against expanding the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He has also voted against help for people with malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS. However, he is best known for being one of two Republicans who voted for the Bush administration's Medicare prescription drug proposal after being told by Republican leaders that Democrats planned to introduce a competing bill if the Bush plan failed.
External link
- Official website (http://www.house.gov/franks/)
- [1] (http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?CID=N00006423&cycle=2004)
- [2] (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2003&rollnumber=197)
- [3] (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2003&rollnumber=158)
- [4] (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll475.xml)