Ford, Harold, 1970-

<p>Elected in 1996, Harold Ford, Jr., established a reputation as a moderate who took an interest in the social and economic issues that affected his constituents. Ford's mother recalled that, as a four–year–old attending his father's swearing–in as a freshman House Member, Harold, Jr., raised his hand and declared, "This is what I want to be when I grow up." In contrast to an earlier generation of African Americans in Congress (including Harold Ford, Sr.) who maintained the legislative legacies of the civil rights movement, Ford, Jr., developed economic and technological solutions for a broader constituency.</p>

<p>The eldest son of Harold Eugene and Dorothy Bowles Ford, Harold Eugene Ford, Jr., was born on May 11, 1970, in Memphis, Tennessee. His father was a member of the Tennessee state house of representatives and was elected in 1974 to the U.S. House, where he served 22 years. His mother was a longtime employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Ford family moved to Washington, DC, in the late 1970s, and Harold attended the elite St. Albans School for Boys. Ford acknowledged that his studies at the school shaped his political philosophy: "For me, and for the other kids who were not white, it was a very heterogeneous place … I had to get along with everybody. That helped me later on when I was in situations where you had to say, ‘Hey, let's all get together and try to figure this out.'" In 1992, he graduated with a B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania and worked on William J. (Bill) Clinton's presidential campaign. Four years later, Ford earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law. He served briefly as a staff aide for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget and as a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, Ford worked on his father's congressional campaigns in 1992 and 1994.</p>

<p>After his father announced his retirement from the House in 1996, Ford ran to succeed him in the district encompassing the bulk of Memphis, Tennessee. The predominantly African–American district (60 percent) was one of the most liberal in the state and included more blacks than any southern city outside Texas. Ford's father served as his chief campaign strategist. Using the Ford name to full effect among Memphis–area constituents, Harold Ford, Jr., distributed campaign buttons and T–shirts that read "Jr." Asked what being a Representative required, Ford said a "willingness to work hard, a willingness to listen and having the courage to stand up for what you believe in and having the courage to stand up for those that you represent." Ford ran on three platforms: increased federal funding for education and job training, opposition to Medicare price hikes, and crime prevention. Contending against Steve Cohen, a state senator, and Rufus Jones, a state representative, Ford won the primary with 61 percent of the vote. His opponent in the general election was Rod DeBerry, a local politician who ran against Harold Ford, Sr., for the seat in 1992 and 1994. The candidates both advocated economic empowerment, but proposed different strategies for achieving it. Ford stressed educational opportunities in a city with a high dropout rate, whereas DeBerry promoted a broader package that emphasized education, job opportunities, and economic development for the Memphis area. Both candidates staked their positions on familiar party policies: Ford advocated government solutions to local problems, whereas DeBerry promoted local solutions and less government involvement. In the general election, Ford prevailed with 61 percent of the vote, making him the first African American to succeed a parent in Congress. In his subsequent four re–election campaigns, Ford won with 79 percent or more. He ran unopposed in 2000.</p>

<p>Harold Eugene Ford Jr. (born May 11, 1970) is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. congressman who served from 1997–2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis. He is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford Sr., who held the same seat for 22 years. In 2006, Ford made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Bill Frist. He is a member of the Ford political family from Memphis. Ford was the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).</p>

<p>Between 2011 and 2017, Ford worked for Morgan Stanley as a managing director. He also regularly appeared on television on political-related programs, such as NBC's <i>Meet the Press</i>, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC.</p>

<p>On December 1, 2020, Ford was named Vice Chairman of Corporate & Institutional Banking at PNC Financial Services. He and his wife live in New York City and have a daughter, Georgia Walker, and a son, Harold Eugene III.</p>

<p>Ford also wrote a book, <i>More Davids Than Goliaths: A Political Education</i>, published in 2010.</p>

FORD, Harold, Jr., (Son of Harold Eugene Ford), a Representative from Tennessee; born in Memphis, Shelby County, Tenn., May 11, 1970; graduated from St. Albans School for Boys, Washington, D.C.; B.A., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa., 1992; J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1996; staff aide, United States Senate Committee on the Budget, 1992; special assistant, United States Department of Commerce, 1993; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1997-January 3, 2007); not a candidate for reelection, but was an unsuccessful candidate to the United States Senate in 2006.