John Franklin Shafroth (June 9, 1854 – February 20, 1922) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a representative, member of the United States Senate, and Governor of Colorado during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born in Fayette, Missouri, he attended the common schools and graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1875.

[1] His son, John F. Shafroth Jr., later a vice admiral in the U.S. Navy during World War II, was born on 31 March 1887.

Thus, he served in the House from March 4, 1895 to his resignation on February 15, 1904, when he declared that fraud in 29 electoral precincts made him unable to assert that he had legitimately won the election and requested for his opponent, Robert W. Bonynge, to replace him.

During his tenure he presided over various reforms concerning working conditions[5] [6] and was instrumental in bringing in Colorado's ballot-initiative institutions.