Former Congressman Trent Franks resigned from Congress in 2017 amid allegations of sexual harassment. Now, the West Valley Republican is launching a new campaign to win back his old seat.
Franks represented Congressional District 8 from 2003 until 2017, when he abruptly resigned after reports came to light that he offered a female employee $5 million to be a surrogate mother for his children. At the time, Franks acknowledged discussing surrogacy with a second female staffer.
In a statement announcing his candidacy, Franks says he left Congress six years ago to spare his loved ones from “heavily sensationalized attacks.”
He said that he had not considered running when Republican incumbent Congresswoman Debbie Lesko announced that she will not run for reelection, but he said the urging of his constituents prompted him to enter the race.
Lesko was Franks’ replacement when he stepped down from Congress.
Franks also said he wants to “keep America from continuing to slide into the dark abyss of woke socialism” followed by a series of criticisms he has for the “woke lunatic left.”
He joins an increasingly crowded Republican primary in the West Valley. State lawmakers Sen. Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) and House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria) as well as prominent Republicans Abe Hamadeh and Blake Masters, have launched their own campaigns.
