Smith County Pct. 1 Commissioner announces candidacy for county judge
Posted/updated on: December 6, 2021 at 10:08 am
SMITH COUNTY – Smith County Commissioner Neal Franklin announced his candidacy for county judge on Friday. This comes just a day after current Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran announced that he is running for Congress to potentially fill Louie Gohmert’s seat. According to our news partner KETK, Franklin was elected to the Commissioners Court in November 2020, and currently serves Precinct 1. According to a press release, Franklin has over 30 years of leadership experience in the fire and EMS fields. He has served as Tyler Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for more than seven years. As General Manager of East Texas Medical Center EMS, Franklin oversaw all or part of 15 counties in East Texas; managing more than 500 employees.
Franklin is a native Tylerite who attended Tyler ISD schools and graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University. Franklin and his wife Valli have three adult children and two grandchildren. They live in Bullard and attend Emerald Bay Community Church.
