Gallop Franklin, a Democrat and proud graduate of Florida A&M University, represents the Big Bend in the state’s House of Representatives. District 8 is commonly referred to as the “FAMU district,” a nickname that stems from the strong connection between FAMU and past representatives who have held the seat. Franklin, a Tallahassee native who is also on the faculty at FAMU, fits the mold perfectly.
He earned his undergraduate degree from FAMU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2012 before going on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University. In addition to his House seat, Franklin is a professor in FAMU’s pharmacy program.
“Florida A&M is truly a cornerstone that I built my life upon,” Franklin said in an interview. “The rigor of the pharmacy program set the stage for me to be able to earn two master’s degrees from an Ivy League school.”
Franklin, who was first elected to the House in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024, graduated from Leon High School and was heavily involved in campus life during his time at FAMU. He served as the Student Government Association president twice and became the first FAMU student to serve on the Florida Board of Governors.
Franklin said his peers tell him he parlayed his time in student government into being a state representative. His classmates often told him he should have been a political science major in college.
“The misnomer is that people try to align certain careers with certain jobs,” he said.
He said his reason for wanting to be an elected official was to help people.
“My goal as the student body president was to help ensure that the lives were better for the students of Florida A&M and I took that same passion into being a state representative,” Franklin said.
He also played on the university’s Division I golf team, which placed third during his sophomore year. Franklin is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Now serving in the Florida House of Representatives, Franklin is in the minority as a Democrat in the chamber. Despite this, he said that partisanship is not as prevalent as many people may think.
“About 85 to 90 percent of the bills we pass in this process are fully bipartisan,” Franklin said. “We agree a lot more than people think. It does not fit the narratives they try to paint.”
Franklin emphasized that media portrayals of legislative conflict between Republicans and Democrats often fail to reflect the reality of bipartisan cooperation in Tallahassee.
“People think we’re always at odds, but that’s not the full story,” he said. “There’s real work being done, and much of it is done in partnership across the aisle.”
Franklin’s journey from student leader to state lawmaker underscores what he believes is the transformative power of a FAMU education. He often reflects on how his experiences at the university prepared him for leadership roles at every level.
“FAMU was the cornerstone of everything in my life,” Franklin said. “It shows that students from FAMU can truly chase their dreams and go anywhere in life.”
As he continues to serve, Franklin said his mission is to ensure that the voices of his constituents in the Big Bend, especially students and alumni of Florida A&M, are heard and respected in the state’s decision-making process.