How to Go from a Congressman to a "Mayor"

Published: 24 May, 2012

1 min read

Residents of Washington D.C. came up with a clever response to Arizona Congressman Trent Franks after he proposed a 20-week abortion ban and denied the district's only elected representative, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, from testifying against the measure.

Protestors deemed Congressman Franks, "Mayor" Franks and on Wednesday brought to his office a flood of municipal complaints.

"From potholes to rodent problems to public transportation complaints, DC residents have followed Franks' lead and begun funneling their problems to him rather than the city's own government," according to Jezebel.

Yesterday's protest was organized by DC Vote, an advocacy organization aiming to secure full representation for D.C. in Congress, and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington.

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York

The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....

30 Oct, 2025

1 min read

Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'

The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....

30 Oct, 2025

3 min read

5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering

Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....

31 Oct, 2025

4 min read

How to Go from a Congressman to a "Mayor"

You Might Also Like