Michael Franken

Michael Thane Franken (born November 8, 1957) is an American retired United States Navy vice admiral. His final posting was as deputy director of military operations for the United States Africa Command. Franken was a Democratic candidate in the 2020 United States Senate election in Iowa, but lost the June 2 primary to Theresa Greenfield. Franken was the Democratic nominee for the 2022 United States Senate election in Iowa, which he lost to Republican incumbent Chuck Grassley.

Early life and education
Franken was born in Sioux Center, Iowa. He attended Morningside College and the Naval Science Institute before graduating on an ROTC scholarship from the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska and entering the United States Navy in 1981. He is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School's college of physics, MIT Seminar XXI, the University of Virginia school of executive education, the Brookings Institution's legislative affairs curriculum, and Babson College's business leadership program. His early operational assignments were in guided missile destroyers.

Navy career
Franken was the first commanding officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). He previously served on the USS King (DDG-41), USS Dahlgren (DDG-43) and USS Barry (DDG-52). As commodore, he commanded Destroyer Squadron 28 and Task Group 152.0 for the Eisenhower Strike Group. Franken also served as the United States Africa Command's deputy for military operations, the United States Central Command's flag officer responsible for plans and strategy for three years, the chief of staff at U.S. Third Fleet, and as executive assistant to Commander, Fleet Forces Command.

From 2011 to 2012, Franken commanded the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in Djibouti, Africa, responsible for the U.S. military activity throughout East Africa and in the islands of the Indian Ocean.

In Washington, D.C., he served a fellowship in congressional affairs for the Office of the Secretary of the Navy; as the political-military chair in the Chief of Naval Operations' Executive Panel, in Navy's Plans and Strategy Deep Blue staff; in the Assessments Division in support of Navy's representation in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and in the Joint Staff's Joint Operations Division overseeing U.S. Pacific Command operations. He presented the worldwide orders book to Secretary Donald Rumsfeld from 2003 to 2005 and was the first military officer to serve as a legislative fellow for Senator Ted Kennedy.

Starting in January 2015, Franken was the first director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency when it was created through the merger of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, and parts of the Air Force's Life Sciences Lab. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting agency is an 800-person defense agency which oversees the location and retrieval of the remains of American veterans of foreign wars.

2020
On August 26, 2019, Franken announced that he would be running for the Democratic Party nomination for United States Senate in Iowa for the seat held by Joni Ernst, a member of the Republican Party.

Franken was one of a number of Democrats who competed in the primary election held on June 2. The winner, Theresa Greenfield, lost to incumbent Ernst in the November 3 general election.

2022
On October 14, 2021, Franken confirmed that he would be seeking the Democratic Party nomination for United States Senate in Iowa for the seat held by Chuck Grassley, a member of the Republican Party. He defeated former U.S. Representative Abby Finkenauer in the primary election in a major upset. Grassley defeated him 56%-44% in the general election,

Personal life
Franken was born the youngest of nine children in rural Sioux County, Iowa. His father was a machinist and blacksmith, while his mother was a school teacher. Franken joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 22 at the urging of an older brother.

In 1989, he married his wife Jordan. Together, they have two children. Franken lives in downtown Sioux City, Iowa.