Former Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona to run for seat he resigned from after scandal

Former Rep. Trent Franks resigned from Congress in 2017 after news broke that he propositioned two women working in his office to carry his child. He cited the media battle that would ensue as the House Ethics Committee investigated the matter.

He's apparently ready to face that storm. Franks, R-Ariz., announced Wednesday he's running for the seat in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

“When I left Congress five years ago, I did so to spare those I love most from heavily sensationalized attacks in that unique and difficult time," he said in a written statement on Wednesday. "Now that my family has matured and circumstances have developed as they have, I hope I can move forward for those I love and for the country I love in a wiser, more dedicated way than ever before."

That seat is now held by incumbent Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who fought her way through a 12-way primary race and then topped Democrat Hiral Tipirneni in a 2018 special election that was required to replace Franks.

Lesko recently announced she would not run for reelection in 2024 in the district that leans heavily Republican, which opened the floodgates for Republican candidates looking to secure a relatively safe GOP seat in the U.S. House.

Franks served eight terms before resigning. But he will have to top a crowded field to get the seat back.

Republicans who plan to run include Blake Masters, who lost his 2022 bid for U.S. Senate; Abe Hamadeh, a former Republican candidate for Arizona attorney general; state Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale; Seth Coates; Isiah Gallegos; Jimmy Rodriguez; Rollie Stevens; and Brandon Urness. Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, has filed a statement of interest.

Franks says friends encouraged him to run again

“I suppose everyone entering an election cites encouragement from friends and supporters to blunt the usual suggestions of arrogance or self-promotion," Franks said in his statement. "However, in this case, the encouragement for me to run was palpable and impossible to dismiss."

Why did Franks resign in 2017?

Franks' 2017 scandal escalated quickly and ended with a prompt resignation. He issued a statement acknowledging he had talked about surrogacy with women, and that he would resign in a month.

That was on Dec. 7, 2017.

Franks said at the time he was concerned "distorted and sensationalized versions of this story" would make it difficult for him to get a fair hearing in the House, which intended to investigate the claims.

'Needed to jump in': 13 candidates running for retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko's House seat

But then-House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he found the claims credible.

"The speaker presented Rep. Franks with the allegations, which he did not deny," Ryan's office said in a statement at the time. "The speaker told Rep. Franks that he intended to refer the allegations directly to the House Ethics Committee and told him that he should resign from Congress."

The next day, one of the women spoke to the Associated Press and described in more detail Franks' proposition for her to "conceive" a child for him, and her discussions with another staffer who received a similar offer.

The first woman said Franks offered her $5 million, though she never looked over the terms of the contract he offered her.

That day, Dec. 8, 2017, Franks made his resignation immediate.

He said his wife was ill and he made the decision after discussing it with her.

What are Franks' issues?

Franks cited the growing national debt, border security, the "woke lunatic left" and "cancel culture" as well as education issues among his reasons for running again.

He described himself as a "conservative Reagan Republican."

Lackluster legacy? Rep. Debbie Lesko exiting Congress with little to show for her 5 years in the House

“I truly believe the 2024 election is vital to the survival of a free, prosperous, and strong America in the world," Franks said in his announcement. "I have never believed these things more than I do now. Thus, I have chosen to run for Congress again with the very deepest prayer in my heart being, God’s Will Be Done.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Rep. Trent Franks wants back in Congress after scandal