Tennesseans made their choice today as hundreds of thousands cast their votes for Harold Ford, Jr. as their candidate for United States Senate, making him the Democratic nominee. Ford won more votes than all other primary candidates in the Senate race, including expected second-place finisher, Bob Corker.More than 5,000 Ford supporters celebrated the victory with President Bill Clinton at a rally at the Titans’ LP Field.
“This night is about people, and about progress, and about the future,” candidate Ford said to the cheering crowd. “We look forward to a campaign that we hope will be about what we can do to make life better for everyone.”
Candidate Ford will likely face Bob Corker in the general election. With 40 percent of precincts reporting, Corker was ahead in a bitter three-way race that emphasized personal attacks over substantive issues.
At the rally President Clinton emphasized Ford’s ability to go beyond partisanship to act in the best interests of all Americans. “I want Harold to go to [the Senate] not because he’ll be a hard-core Democrat, but because he’ll be a hard-core thinker.”
Supporters from throughout the state braved the heat to celebrate Ford’s victory. Henry County resident Steve Wright celebrated with friends. He looks forward to the general election: “This is a great day. Harold’s well focused on the issues that are important to the regular people, and he’ll be our next senator.”
With the general election now underway, the Ford campaign will continue to emphasize the issues that matter most to Tennesseans: education, energy independence, the ongoing war in Iraq, and the exploding federal debt.
Lewis County resident Nancy McDonald looks forward to seeing Ford’s leadership in the U.S. Senate: “He’s going to help us get back on track.”
For more, visit Congressman Ford's official campaign site!
