Changes

|term_start=January 1, 2017

|term_start=January 1, 2017

|term_end=

|term_end=

|preceded=[[Charles DeWitt]] (interim of Clyde Cecil Holloway)

|preceded=[[Charles DeWitt]] (interim of [[Clyde Holloway]])

|office2=State Chairman of the<br> Louisiana [[Republican Party]]

|office2=State Chairman of the<br> Louisiana [[Republican Party]]

|term_start2=1994

|term_start2=1994

As the Republican state chairman, Francis tried to unseat the legislative floor leaders for Governor Edwin Edwards. In the 1996 Louisiana presidential [[caucus]] won by the [[journalist]] and commentator [[Patrick J. Buchanan]], Francis worked for then [[U.S. Senator]] [[William Phillip Gramm|Phil Gramm]] of [[Texas]], who soon left the race and deferred to the eventual nominee, former [[U.S. Senator]] [[Bob Dole|Robert J. Dole]] of [[Kansas]].

As the Republican state chairman, Francis tried to unseat the legislative floor leaders for Governor Edwin Edwards. In the 1996 Louisiana presidential [[caucus]] won by the [[journalist]] and commentator [[Patrick J. Buchanan]], Francis worked for then [[U.S. Senator]] [[William Phillip Gramm|Phil Gramm]] of [[Texas]], who soon left the race and deferred to the eventual nominee, former [[U.S. Senator]] [[Bob Dole|Robert J. Dole]] of [[Kansas]].

Francis had been mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for the District 4 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which was filled in a special election on April 4, 2008, to replace [[Dale Sittig]] of Eunice, who resigned to become director of the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority. Ultimately, the Republican former U.S. Representative Clyde Holloway of Rapides Parish won the remaining nineteen months of Sittig's term. When Holloway did not seek reelection and died during the 2016 campaign to choose his successor, Franics won the post over another Republican and a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]]. His current term expires on January 1, 2023.

Francis had been mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for the District 4 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which was filled in a special election on April 4, 2008, to replace [[Dale Sittig]] of Eunice, who resigned to become director of the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority. Ultimately, the Republican former U.S. Representative [[Clyde Holloway]] of Rapides Parish won the remaining nineteen months of Sittig's term. When Holloway did not seek reelection and died during the 2016 campaign to choose his successor, Franics won the post over another Republican and a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]]. His current term expires on January 1, 2023.

===State senate race, 1996===

===State senate race, 1996===

The Secretary of State is Louisiana's top elections officer. The office maintains corporation and government records.

The Secretary of State is Louisiana's top elections officer. The office maintains corporation and government records.

"We have had a lot of criticism about professional politicians in this state. . . . People are crying out for change. Most are demanding it. . . . Our problems are not Republican or Democrat problems. They are all our problems, and we need to face them together. We need sound business principles in Baton Rouge and not more politics. To attract business, we need leaders who know how to talk business, not politics," Francis said.

"We have had a lot of criticism about professional politicians in this state.... People are crying out for change. Most are demanding it. . . . Our problems are not Republican or Democrat problems. They are all our problems, and we need to face them together. We need sound business principles in Baton Rouge and not more politics. To attract business, we need leaders who know how to talk business, not politics," Francis said. Francis promised, if elected, that he would take a business approach to the secretary of state's office and work to create jobs and to ensure "clean elections," for which he noted Louisiana had formerly been lacking, particularly the disputed 1996 U.S. Senate race between Republican [[Woody Jenkins]] and Democrat [[Mary Landrieu]].

Francis promised, if elected, that he would take a business approach to the secretary of state's office and work to create jobs and to ensure "clean elections," for which he noted Louisiana had formerly been lacking, particularly the disputed 1996 U.S. Senate race between Republican [[Woody Jenkins]] and Democrat [[Mary Landrieu]].

Francis lost the race for Secretary of State to John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr., an [[attorney]] born in 1954 and a state senator from [[Baton Rouge]], one of most visible [[Moderate Republicans]] in the state.. The election was held to finish the fifteen months remaining in the term of Republican Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005). [[Al Ater]], a Democratic former state representative from Ferriday in Concordia Parish, had succeeded to the position because he was McKeithen's first deputy. The special election was held in conjunction with the primary for other offices contested in 2006.<ref>Ex-GOP chief running for secretary of state (kplctv.com), accessed April 27, 2021.</ref>

Francis lost the race for Secretary of State to John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr., an [[attorney]] born in 1954 and a state senator from [[Baton Rouge]], one of most visible [[Moderate Republicans]] in the state.. The election was held to finish the fifteen months remaining in the term of Republican Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005). [[Al Ater]], a Democratic former state representative from Ferriday in Concordia Parish, had succeeded to the position because he was McKeithen's first deputy. The special election was held in conjunction with the primary for other offices contested in 2006.<ref>Ex-GOP chief running for secretary of state (kplctv.com), accessed April 27, 2021.</ref>

Francis finished third in the race, based largely on his support in mostly rural and small-town parishes in his native north Louisiana. He received 26 percent of the vote. Democratic state Senator Francis C. Heitmeier of [[New Orleans]] polled 28 percent, and Dardenne led the field with 30 percent. None of the other four candidates had more than 9 percent.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, September 30, 2006.</ref>

Francis finished third in the race, based largely on his support in mostly rural and small-town parishes in his native north Louisiana. He received 26 percent of the vote. Democratic state Senator Francis C. Heitmeier of [[New Orleans]] polled 28 percent, and Dardenne led the field with 30 percent. None of the other four candidates had more than 9 percent.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, September 30, 2006.</ref>