Neal Franklin

One day after current Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran announced his official bid for U.S. Congress, Smith County Pct. 1 Commissioner Neal Franklin said in a statement Friday afternoon he will run for the county judge position.

Franklin, who is serving his first term as a county commissioner following his election in November 2020, previously served as the Tyler fire chief and emergency management coordinator for more than seven years.

A news conference is set for 10 a.m. Monday in the Smith County Commissioners courtroom at the Smith County Courthouse Annex, located at 200 E. Ferguson in Tyler.

Moran is seeking the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, who announced in November his intention to challenge incumbent Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

There are two other Republican candidates, Aditya “A.D.” Atholi and John Porro, and one Democrat Stephen Kocen running for the spot in Congress as well.

As Pct. 1 commissioner, Franklin represents areas including southwest Tyler, Bullard, Flint-Gresham, Noonday and part of Lake Palestine. Franklin replaced Jeff Warr, who stepped down from the position he served in since 2009.

In 2020, Franklin, a Republican, defeated local tax attorney Democrat Peter Milne with roughly 78% of the vote.

He was the general manager of East Texas Medical Center (now UT Health East Texas) EMS. In that role, he oversaw all or part of 15 counties in East Texas and managed more than 500 employees, according to his statement.

The announcement said Franklin, a Tyler native, is passionate about serving and improving the lives of Smith County citizens and employees.

“He believes Smith County is in a great position due to conservative fiscal policies and a focus on fostering relationships and will keep these as his priorities as county judge,” the announcement said.

Franklin lives in Bullard with his wife Valli. They have three adult children and two grandchildren, and they attend Emerald Bay Community Church.