John DeFrancisco
John A. DeFrancisco is an American attorney and [United States United States Republican Party|Republican Party|Republican] politician who represented District 50 in the New York State Senate from 1993 to 2018.
Early life, education, and military service
DeFrancisco graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, New York. He received his Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University, where he played college baseball, and later graduated from Duke University Law School. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served as a judge advocate.Career
DeFrancisco spent eleven years on the Syracuse Common Council as both a Councilor-at-large and then the Council President. He has also served in the past as the President of the Syracuse City School District Board of Education and the Vice-President of the Conference of Large City Boards of Education. He was also of counsel at the law firm of DeFrancisco and Falgiatano; an associate with the law firm of Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett; a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force; and the Assistant District Attorney in Onondaga County from 1975 until 1977.New York State Senate
DeFrancisco was first elected to the State Senate in 1992.The Albany Times Union described DeFrancisco as "an outspoken lawmaker and attorney known for his skills in floor debates. In 2010, after Republicans had lost their majority status in the Senate, DeFrancisco was "appointed chief interrogator for the Senate Republican Conference with carte blanche to grill Democrats and spotlight their flaws." A former Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. DeFrancisco "authored the legislation that led to the implementation of the Amber Alert system" and secured state funding for a "cord blood bank that will transform medical waste into life-saving treatments." DeFrancisco opposed public financing of political campaigns, and has voted against medical marijuana legislation, the DREAM Act, and the gun control law known as the NY SAFE Act. DeFrancisco also voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during Senate roll-call for the 2011 Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate narrowly passed 33-29.
In 2011, DeFrancisco supported legislation that would increase medical malpractice legal fees; at the time, he was still practicing law at a firm that specialized in medical malpractice. Common Cause/New York, a good government group, accused DeFrancisco of acting in his own self-interest.
In 2015, following the resignation of Dean Skelos as Senate Majority Leader, DeFrancisco sought to succeed him in that post; however, Senate Republicans chose John J. Flanagan. Sen. DeFrancisco was elevated to the position of Senate Deputy Majority Leader in July 2015.
On April 26, 2018, DeFrancisco announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate in November 2018.