Rep. Trent Franks said he will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jon Kyl in 2012 if it is what God and his constituents want.
“I truly don’t know what God wants me to do and what is right for the country,” Franks said Saturday at the Sun City West Republican Club meeting.
The West Valley Republican took an impromptu poll of the 130 club members at the meeting and received a resounding endorsement for a Senate run.
Kyl announced Feb. 10 he will not seek re-election to a fourth term, a move that Franks said has “really made a mess of my life” because of all the questions about whether he will run for the position. Franks said he considers Kyl a good friend and had hoped he would run for re-election.
Republican Club vice president Jan Martinson was flattered that Franks would ask for her opinion on whether to run.
“We need somebody who is staunch in their beliefs and will not bend,” Martinson said, adding that she thinks Franks is “a person who will not waver and stick to his guns.”
“I think he is a truthful person,” she said.
Franks, who has served in the House since 2003, spoke at the club meeting about his work in Washington and his goals for the country.
“It seems like when I come here, I’m getting to come home and talk with family,” Franks told the group.
Franks spoke of three issues he thinks will lead to the destruction of the country if they are not addressed — the economy, national security and upholding the Constitution — and hopes the Republican wave that started with the November elections will continue to the presidential elections in 2012.
“I am so grateful that we had a good election this last election,” he said. “I pray that now we’ve been given a second chance that we don’t screw it up.”
“I do know that we have to balance the budget,” Franks said, promising the group that he would vote ‘no’ on anything that will not achieve that, just as he voted against all the bailouts. “Even if it’s tough, let’s do it now rather than going down the path to socialism.”
Franks also said that the government cannot pursue a containment policy when it comes to terrorism, since jihadists are already willing to die for their cause.
With the possibility of nuclear or other attacks in the “not-too-distant future,” Franks also emphasized the importance of defense.
“It’s not time to raise the white flag, we still have time to pull our country back from disaster,” Franks said.
ridiculous2010 posted at 1:08 pm on Mon, Mar 7, 2011.
Franks is such a good and loyal neo-conservative... I'm sure he will do whatever his party leadership tells him to do.
samkat posted at 5:07 pm on Mon, Mar 7, 2011.
Ridiculous: I am sure you are a good far left wing supporter as well. Now, put that aside and I would vote for Flake before i would Franks and I don't even care for Flake.
IceCat posted at 6:03 pm on Mon, Mar 7, 2011.
Franks doesn't stand a chance. He is a one trick pony. Besides how is he going to explain his vote on Medicare Part D.