Madla was initially elected to the lower house of the Texas legislature in a San Antonio-based district in 1972. He served for twenty years in the House until he was elected to the District 24, later District 19, state Senate seat, which is geographically large and stretches from San Antonio to as far west as El Paso. In 1985, Texas Monthly, in its biennial feature on the best and worst Texas legislators named Madla to the "Honorable Mention" category, as one of the top twenty legislators for that session.
Madla had maintained his Senate seat without opposition until successfully challenged in the Democratic primary held in March 2006 by the District 118 state representative, Carlos I. "Charlie" Uresti. Uresti, a San Antonio attorney, prevailed with 56.5 percent of the vote to Madla's 43.5 percent. Carla Vela, the then Bexar County Democratic Party chairman, said that issues were less important in the Madla-Uresti race than an ongoing intraparty power struggle involving the political families who control the Southside section of San Antonio. Shortly after his primary defeat, Madla announced that he would resign his Senate seat early, effective May 31, 2006.
Personal life
Madla was born in just outside San Antonio in Helotes to Frank L. Madla, Sr., and the former Epigmenia Alcala. Madla attended St. Mary's University and graduated with a B.A. in Government in 1959, and in 1963, an M.A. in Government. Madla was married in 1961, and he and wife Rosemary had a son, Frank L. Madla, III. Madla was remarried in 1977 to the former Helen Cruz, and had a daughter, Marci Morgan Madla. Madla was a junior high schoolteacher for ten years before he entered politics. At various times he worked as an insurance and real estate broker, and an instructor at University of the Incarnate Word.
Death
Madla, along with Mary Cruz, his 81-year-old mother-in-law, and Aleena, his five-year-old granddaughter, died in a house fire. Madla had been asleep in his home upstairs and had tried to escape through the bedroom window. Burglar bars on the windows trapped him, and he succumbed to smoke and flames. His granddaughter was initially thought to have survived, but was declared without brain function and died after being removed from life support a day later. Madla's wife Helen survived the blaze but was hospitalized for a time afterward. Madla's home had no smoke detectors. U.S. President George W. Bush issued his condolences to the Madla family and promised to pray for Helen Madla's full recovery: "Frank was a dedicated public servant who devoted more than three decades of his life to serving his state and all its people in the Texas House and Senate." Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff in Madla's honor on November 30, the day of Madla's funeral, and 1 December, the date of his interment in the Texas State Cemetery. Perry issued this tribute: "Frank Madla was a dear friend and a dedicated public servant who was an exemplary representative for South and West Texas. Frank was a mentor to me when I came in to the legislature. He had a heart of gold and was a true Texas patriot. He and his wife, Helen, were two of Anita's and my favorites. His death is a tragic loss to the community, to his friends and to his family. Anita and I offer our prayers on behalf of his wife Helen for her continued recovery."
Legacy
In January 2006, the former Royalgate Elementary School in the South San Antonio Independent School District was renamed Frank Madla Elementary School. Madla described the renaming as the "single best honor" to him ever. VIA Metropolitan Transit named its Madla Transit Center in his honor. It is located on San Antonio's South Side at the intersection of I-35 and Zarzamora Street.
