Not even the opposition of the N.A.A.C.P. could prevent Connecticut's Gary Franks from becoming the first black Republican member of the House of Representatives since 1935. Franks, 37, a prosperous real estate investor and a Waterbury alderman, is a fiscal conservative who opposes racial quotas. The Yale graduate hails his win as a classic victory over "tax-and-spend" liberalism.
Elected from a staunchly conservative district, which includes some of the wealthiest communities in the nation, Franks knocked out Democrat Toby Moffett, an ex-TV anchorman and former Congressman who was backed by various civil rights groups. Says University of Connecticut political science professor...
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