Franklin Lars "Jake" Flake (August 4, 1935 – June 8, 2008) was an American politician who served as a Senator in the Arizona State Legislature from 2005 until his death. Previous to his term as State Senator, he served as a Representative in the Arizona Legislature, including a stint as Speaker of the House. Jake Flake was a cattle rancher by profession, and he and three of his brothers raised the Beefmaster breed. He was an uncle to U.S. Senator and former U.S.