Updated 03/02/2010 08:37 AM
Ford Jr. Drops NY Senate Bid
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Harold Ford Jr. has decided not to run against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary this fall.
The former Tennessee congressman explained his reasons in an op-ed piece published in today's New York Times.
In it, Ford, 39, says even though he feels he can beat Gillibrand, the winner of the primary would come out with a weakened war chest. As a result, he says the winner would be vulnerable to a strong and well-financed Republican challenger.
Ford claims he made the decision following intense pressure from Democratic party officials, saying, "...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."
Privately, Democrats who talked to Ford Jr. said he was reluctant to bring his new wife through a potentially-bruising campaign.
Over the past six weeks, both Ford and Gillibrand had been going head to head over everything from taxes to abortion.
"I think Harold Ford Jr. didn't understand the politics that are at work in New York. We care a lot about the economy and jobs, obviously. But there are also some underpinning, underlying values, issues like the right to choose, that people take very seriously here," said Kelli Conlin of NARAL Pro Choice New York.
Ford's criticism came to a head last week, when he was repeatedly heckled at a Stonewall Democrats meeting, even as he said he regretted twice voting for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Aides said more consequential to the decision was a meeting Saturday with African-American leaders. Rather than embrace his candidacy, the group was lukewarm at best.
Gillibrand's spokesman issued a statement saying, "Senator Gillibrand has shown that she takes a back seat to no one when it comes to fighting for New York and no matter who her opponent is this fall, she will wage a vigorous campaign on her strong record and her vision for New York."