Robert Franks, a longtime New Jersey political leader who served four terms in Congress and led a resurgence of the state Republican party in the early 1990s, has died. He was 58.
Former aide Mike DuHaime says Franks died late Friday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Franks had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, but further details were not disclosed.
Franks first gained prominence in the state Assembly, where he represented Union County for 14 years. He then captured the 7th Congressional district seat in 1993, serving four terms before seeking a U.S. Senate seat in 2000. He narrowly lost that race to Democrat Jon Corzine despite being far outspent by his millionaire rival.
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