Candidate Questionnaire
What is your name: James Morgan Franks
What office are you seeking? Magistrate of District 2
What is your age: 38
Please provide family background. (I.E. spouse, children, grandchildren, pets)
Proud Father of 3 Daughters, Katelyn, Gracie and Kailyn. Grandfather to Chaselyn and Hudson.
What is your educational background? (i.e. high school, GED, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, etc.) HCC- High School Equivalency Diploma; Dale Carnegie – Sales Advantage; Effective Communications & Human Relations; KCTCS – Kentucky Fire Commission – Kentucky Basic 1 Certification.
Health & Safety Institute (HSI) – Trainer Certification: Adult First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, CPR/AED All Ages, Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP), Child and Babysitting Safety (CABS), Use and Administration of Epinephrine Auto Injectors (EAI), Oxygen, Stop Life Threatening Bleeding.
-Small Business owner/ President and CEO of Complete Restoration since 2013 which is located in Henderson, KY.
Have you been elected to a political office previously? If so, what office(s) and when did you hold the office(s)? This is my first time seeking public office.
What is your professional background? (Please include career and any boards and volunteer work.) Volunteer Fireman, Secretary and Board Member for Zion Volunteer Fire Department. I Volunteer or Financially Support; AKZ (Audubon Kids Zone), Boys and Girls Club of Henderson, Henderson County Honor Guard, Infinite Hope and Various Volunteer Fire Departments.
Why are you running for office?
I believe Henderson County cannot afford another four years without a firm and unwavering effort to protect public safety concerns from “green
energy projects” and the core agricultural community Henderson has been built upon.
As a volunteer firefighter, I participated in a training session led by a State EPA representative outlining the dangers of commercial-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). We learned that, in the event of a fire, our communities are powerless to extinguish these systems or protect citizens from potential toxic plumes. Several local officials were present and voiced concern, even making promises to prevent such projects from entering Henderson County. Yet since then, only one ordinance has been put in place regarding “green energy,” which I believe is inadequate and potentially the deadliest.
BESS systems and other renewable energy projects are being proposed across our county, and if allowed, they could permanently alter our landscape with little to no benefit for residents. We are under attack by large power companies chasing government subsidies—and once those subsidies disappear, so will these companies, leaving our community to deal with the consequences.
I am committed to protecting our county’s agricultural roots and ensuring my grandchildren can enjoy Henderson County without risk to their mental or physical health. I also believe that no one should face property devaluation or damage caused by industrial projects placed in once-agricultural or residential areas without proper safeguards and concessions for neighbors. Voting for me is a stand to defend our agricultural heritage, our health, and our property rights. I am highly accessible to my community and deeply committed to serving and protecting every resident.
If elected to office, what would be your top three goals?
1. Strengthen Road and Water Infrastructure.
2. Improve 911 services and Emergency Response for the county residents.
3. Responsibly regulate solar and batter storage projects while prohibiting 700’ wind turbines.
Why should people vote for you?
While being Magistrate of District 2 does not give me the power to solve every problem, it does give me a vote—a vote I will use to protect our community, defend property rights, and safeguard the future of our children. I am highly accessible to my community, deeply committed to service, and ready to fight for Henderson County every day.
Please feel free to add an additional comment.
I seek this office not to benefit myself, but to protect our community from real dangers we face due to our lack of firm leadership against opposition. We must govern on what’s best for our citizens and not that of outside developers praying on our community. We are Henderson! We are built on the backbone of agriculture and trade, not power generation for the open market which benefits our community none.
I personally have always contributed to a number of nonprofits, volunteered at multiple charity organizations and truly try to make our community better every day. I am a public servant, and I feel this is what I need to currently do to best serve our community.
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