Given

• his high profile as the Democrat for reporters to go to when they want a hostile comment about Governor Rod Blagojevich,
• his family’s financial resources, plus
• the statewide contacts established by his father Herb Franks, not to mention
• his high profile service in the General Assembly since 1999,

it is not a big surprise that State Rep. Jack Franks might be considering running for governor.

Franks has little to lose.

If Attorney General Lisa Madigan decides to run for governor, Franks could easily decide to run for her office.

Bringing on this article are snippets in two Michael Sneed columns in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sunday, Sneed wrote that Blagojevich’s father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell,

“…is co-hosting a fund-raiser for his fishing buddy and good pal state Rep. Jack Franks on June 23 at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, where Franks is expected to announce plans to run for governor!”

The fact that Mell was co-hosting a fund raiser for Franks is not in itself big news.

The prediction of an announcement in Chicago for governor was.

Tuesday, Sneed reported hearing Mell

“…took exception to Sneed’s item about Mell raising funds for state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), who is eyeing a bid to run for governor.

“• • Quoth Mell: ‘I’ve raised money for Jack for 10 years … and NOT because he is running for governor.’

“• • Quoth Franks: ‘I am eyeing a bid for governor. But Dick has raised money for me for years … and this fund-raiser was not just to raise funds for that race.'”

McHenry County Republicans put up no candidate to run against Franks this year, so he is free to spend anything he raises to run for statewide office.

So, what Republican will want Franks’ legislative seat if he decides to roll the dice for statewide office?

= = = = =
Michael Sneed’s column has a head shot of State Rep. Jack Franks with a beard, similar to the one you see above from this article.

By three weeks later, the beard was gone.