Jack D. Franks

{{Infobox officeholder

| name=Jack Franks

|image =

|caption =

|office = Chairman of the McHenry County Board

|term_start = {{start date|2016|12|5}}

|term_end = {{start date|2020|12|8}}

|predecessor = Joseph Gottemoller {{small|(appointed)}}

|successor = Mike Buehler

| state_house2=Illinois

| state2=Illinois

| district2=63rd

| term_start2 = {{start date|1999|01}}

| term_end2 = {{end date|2017|01|11}}

| preceded2= Michael J. Brown

| succeeded2=Steve Reick

| birth_name=Jack Darrow Franks{{cite web | title=Mr. Jack D. Franks | url=https://www.martindale.com/attorney/jack-d-franks-955549/ | work=Martindale.com | access-date=September 11, 2021}}

| birth_date={{birth date and age|1963|10|02}}

| birth_place=Belvidere, Illinois

|party = Democratic

|otherparty =

|spouse =

|partner =

|relations =

|children =

|residence = Marengo, Illinois

|alma_mater = University of Wisconsin
Washington College of Law

|occupation =

|profession = Attorney, politician

|committees =

|signature =

|signature_alt=

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Jack Darrow Franks (born October 2, 1963) is an Illinois attorney and politician who served as Chairman of the McHenry County Board from December 2016 to December 2020. Previously, Franks served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 63rd district from 1999 to 2017. His McHenry area district included all or parts of Harvard, Marengo, Woodstock, Bull Valley, Wonder Lake, Illinois, Greenwood, McHenry, Fox Lake, Spring Grove, Johnsburg and Lakemoor.{{cite web|url=http://www.precinctmaps.com/maps/GA/House2011/63rdHouse.pdf|author=Veeneman, Drew|title=Map of 63rd District|publisher=precinctmaps.com|access-date=2013-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924081054/http://www.precinctmaps.com/maps/GA/House2011/63rdHouse.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}

While in the Illinois House of Representatives, Franks served as chairman of the State Government Administration, beginning in 2003.{{cite web |url=http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=1832|title=Representative Jack D. Franks (D), 63rd District|publisher=Illinois General Assembly|access-date=2013-05-26}}

Illinois House of Representatives

Franks was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1998 defeating the incumbent by 138 votes to become one of the first Democrats to represent the largely Republican McHenry area in the Illinois General Assembly.{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/11/04/madigan-philip-retain-majorities-in-legislature/|author=Ray Long and Christi Parsons|title=Madigan, Philip Retain Majorities In Legislature|date=4 November 1998 |publisher=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2013-05-26}}{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.il.gov/electioninformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GE&ElectionID=11&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=1220&QueryType=Office&|title=General Election - 11/3/1998 63rd Representative|publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections|access-date=2013-05-26}}

When Franks initially ran for office, he pledged to serve only three terms,{{cite news |title=Unknown Title|url=http://mchenrycountyblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Franks-Term-Limits-9-28-98.png |newspaper=The Northwest Herald |date=1998-09-20 |access-date=2014-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221083431/http://mchenrycountyblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Franks-Term-Limits-11-4-98.png |archive-date=February 21, 2014}}{{cite news |last=Peterson |first=Jami |title=Unknown Title |url=http://mchenrycountyblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Franks-Term-Limits-11-4-98.png |newspaper=The Northwest Herald |date=1998-11-04 |access-date=2014-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216154211/http://mchenrycountyblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Franks-Term-Limits-9-28-98.png |archive-date=December 16, 2014}} however he broke his term limit promise and ultimately served nine terms.

As chair of the State Government Administration Committee, Franks called for the first audits of a sitting governor in the history of Illinois and was the first Democrat to openly criticize Rod Blagojevich.{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-franks |title=Rep. Jack Franks |website=Huffingtonpost.com |access-date=2016-03-01}}{{better source needed|date=March 2016}} Blagojevich's team questioned Franks' integrity and whether his impeachment hearing request was politically motivated. The governor's office released a 2003 memo in which Franks requested patronage hires for family and friends.{{cite web|url=http://prev.dailyherald.com/story/?id=214547&src=109 |title=Blagojevich team: Gov.'s critic suggested family, pals for state jobs |website=www.dailyherald.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806183811/http://prev.dailyherald.com/story/?id=214547&src=109 |archive-date=2016-08-06 }}{{Cite web|url=http://mchenrycountyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Franks-Partonage-Req-Memo-2-27-03.png|title=Franks Patronage Request Memo 2003|website=mchenrycountyblog.com}}

At one point during his tenure, Franks served on the Illinois Aging Committee, Public Utilities Committee, chairman of the State Government Administration Committee, chairman of the International Trade & Commerce Committee, and vice-chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?memberid=1595 |title=Illinois General Assembly - Representative Biography |website=Ilga.gov |access-date=2016-03-01}}

=Notable votes=

Franks and a fellow Democrat, Representative Scott Drury, voted against a plan to tax people with seven-figure incomes, called by some a "millionaire's tax", along with every Republican lawmaker, leaving the Democrats two votes shy of the 71 they need to move it forward.{{cite web|author=Ben Yount |url=http://watchdog.org/138274/illinois-millionaires-tax-dies-tax-plans-much-alive/ |title=Illinois millionaires' tax dies, but other tax plans very much alive |website=Watchdog.org |access-date=2016-03-01}}

Franks voted "present" on a labor vote in the House, where Democrats were attempting to override a veto by Governor Bruce Rauner on SB 1229, which would have empowered an arbitrator to settle negotiation disputes between public sector unions and the governor and would have impeded the governor's ability to force a "lock-out" of state workers during contract negotiations. The House failed to override the governor's veto by three votes.{{cite news|url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/927890/rauner-vs-madigan-springfield-labor-showdown |title=House Dems fail to override Rauner veto of labor bill |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=2016-03-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224155937/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/927890/rauner-vs-madigan-springfield-labor-showdown |archive-date=December 24, 2015 }}

McHenry County board chairman

On May 15, 2016, Franks announced he would run for McHenry County Board Chairman in its first popularly held election for the position.{{cite web | last1=Craver | first1=Kevin | title=Jack Franks Announces McHenry County Board Chairman Run | url=http://www.nwherald.com/2016/05/15/jack-franks-announces-mchenry-county-board-chairman-run/aixufup/ | date=May 15, 2016 | publisher=Northwest Herald | access-date=November 26, 2016}} Previously, in June 2014, Franks specifically stated he would not run for the position in 2016.{{cite web | last1=Craver | first1=Kevin | title=Franks Asks County for 2 Advisory Referendums | url=http://www.nwherald.com/2014/06/05/franks-asks-county-for-2-advisory-referendums/a6ejr9p/ | date=June 6, 2014 | publisher=Northwest Herald | access-date=November 26, 2016 | page=2 | quote='I can promise you I am not running for county chairman in 2016. This has nothing to do with me. This is about good government.'}} On the November 8 general election, Franks defeated Republican county board member Michael Walkup with over 57 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.{{cite web | last1=Craver | first1=Kevin | title=Democrat Jack Franks Wins First-Ever McHenry County Board Chairman Race | url=http://www.nwherald.com/2016/11/07/democrat-jack-franks-wins-first-ever-mchenry-county-board-chairman-race/ahcqmyr/ | date=November 9, 2016 | publisher=Northwest Herald | access-date=November 26, 2016}} Franks was sworn in on December 5, 2016 along with the other County Board members.{{cite web | last1=Rohr | first1=Lauren | title=Franks Sworn in as McHenry County's First Chairman Elected by Voters | url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161205/news/161209423/ | date=December 5, 2016 | publisher=Daily Herald | access-date=December 5, 2016}}

Franks lost the November 2020 general election to Republican Mike Buehler.{{cite web | last1=Duncan | first1=Kelli | title=Incumbent Jack Franks concedes McHenry County Board chairman race to Republican Mike Buehler | url=https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20201112/incumbent-jack-franks-concedes-mchenry-county-board-chairman-race-to-republican-mike-buehler | date=November 12, 2020 | work=Daily Herald | access-date=March 25, 2021}}{{cite web | last1=McCoppin | first1=Robert | title=Newcomer Republican Mike Buehler declares victory in McHenry County Board chairman race, as Jack Franks concedes | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-illinois-mchenry-county-board-chair-buehler-victory-20201112-lkq43tm25ndmtej5wcjg6cijkm-story.html | date=November 12, 2020 | work=Chicago Tribune | access-date=March 25, 2021}} Franks left office on December 8, 2020.{{cite web | title=New McHenry County Board chairman, members sworn | url=https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20201208/new-mchenry-county-board-chairman-members-sworn | date=December 8, 2020 | work=Daily Herald | access-date=March 25, 2021}}

Other

Franks is a practicing attorney at the law firm of Franks, Gerkin & McKenna. He holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a law degree from the American University Washington College of Law. He is a member of multiple chambers of commerce in the McHenry County area. Franks and his wife, Debby, have two children. In January 2020, it was reported that the Illinois State Police were investigating Franks for allegations of sexual misconduct and stalking.{{cite web | last1=Smith | first1=Kate | title=Police probe sexual misconduct, stalking allegations against McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks | url=https://www.nwherald.com/2020/02/01/police-probe-sexual-misconduct-stalking-allegations-against-mchenry-county-board-chairman-jack-franks/atwdel6/ | date=February 1, 2020 | work=Northwest Herald | access-date=February 1, 2020}}{{cite web | title=State Police search Madigan's office as part of Franks case | url=https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200131/state-police-search-madigans-office-as-part-of-franks-case | date=January 31, 2020 | work=The State Journal-Register (from the Associated Press) | access-date=February 1, 2020}}{{cite web | last1=Sfondeles | first1=Tina | title=State police investigate sexual misconduct allegations against ex-state rep, execute search warrant at Madigan's Capitol offices | url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/31/21117508/mike-madigan-offices-search-warrant-sexual-misconduct-allegations-former-state-rep-jack-franks | date=January 31, 2020 | work=Chicago Sun-Times | access-date=February 1, 2020}}

References

External links

[http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2083 Representative Jack D. Franks (D) 63rd District] at the Illinois General Assembly
[http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2083 99th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=98&MemberID=1152 98th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=97&MemberID=1595 97th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=96&MemberID=1373 96th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1152 95th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=94&MemberID=915 94th], [http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=93&MemberID=630 93rd]
[http://www.franks4illinois.com/ Jack D. Franks] constituency site
{{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=18285 | fec= | congress= }}
[http://www.housedem.state.il.us/members/franksj/index.htm Rep. Jack D. Franks] at Illinois House Democrats

Category:County executives in Illinois

Category:Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives

Category:Illinois lawyers

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Belvidere, Illinois

Category:People from Marengo, Illinois

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni

Category:Washington College of Law alumni

Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly