Tennessee transplant Ford mulls Gillibrand challenge
Democratic sources say that former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. - who relocated to New York City after his unsuccessful Senate bid in 2006 - has been talking about the possibility of running against rookie New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Ford, who was mentioned as a possible appointee to replace Hillary Clinton in late 2007, has reportedly told associates that he's skeptical about the idea. But he may have commissioned a poll to test his popularity, according to a Tuesday night post on DemocraticUnderground.com.
"I live in NY and was just polled about a possible primary between Kirsten Gillibrand and Harold Ford Jr. for the Senate seat. I was wondering if anyone had heard if he was considering to run," wrote the poster, who identified himself as "JamesA1102."
The poll wasn't conducted by Gillibrand's campaign, according to people familiar with the situation. It might have been part of a public survey but Ford hasn't been in the mix lately.
An e-mail to Ford, a 39-year-old executive at Merrill Lynch, wasn't immediately returned.
Ford, who represented Memphis from 1997 to 2007, is currently the head of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council and was among the most conservative African-American Democrats to serve in the House in recent years.
His positions - including his opposition to gay marriage and opposition to some abortions - put him to the right of Gillibrand, herself considered conservative.
Suffolk County Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) also is weighing a primary challenge to Gillibrand. He has scheduled an announcement for Dec. 14.
