Ford Won't Run

Harold Ford has decided not to challenge Kirsten Gillenbrand in the Democratic Primary for the Senator from New York state.

Former Tennessee congressman Harold Ford Jr. says he's decided not to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate in New York's Democratic primary because he
doesn't want to divide the party.

Ford says in a New York Times op-ed posted online Monday he refuses to do anything that would help a Republican win the seat. He says a primary would be "highly negative."

He wrote an Op Ed in the New York Times explaining his decision.

But as I traveled around New York, I began to understand why the party bosses felt the need to use such heavy-handed tactics: They’re nervous. New Yorkers are clamoring for change. Our political system — so bogged down in partisan fighting — is sapping the morale of New Yorkers and preventing government at every level from fulfilling its duty.

The cruel twist, of course, is that the party bosses who tried to intimidate me so that I wouldn’t even think about running against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had been appointed to the seat by Gov. David A. Paterson, are the same people responsible for putting Democratic control of the Senate at risk.

Kirsten Gillenbrand is likely to take on former Governor George Pataki in the general election.