Tuesday, March 2, 2010

New York: There's not a Ford in your future

Turning that old automobile slogan around, former Congressman Harold Ford has decided not to challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in this year's New York Democratic primary.

Ford, who had represented Tennessee in the House, has since moved to New York, and had reportedly been considering a Senate candidacy in his new home state.

That appears to give Gillibrand, who last year was appointed by Governor David Paterson as the Senate replacement for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a clear shot at the Democratic nomination.

Most of the speculation about Republican opposition to Gillibrand centers on media mogul Mort Zuckerman. Zuckerman, 72, is editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, and publisher of the New York Daily News. He is a political pundit, well known for his appearances on John McLaughlin's TV show The McLaughlin Group. A Senate candidacy would be Zuckerman's first run for public office.

Zuckerman has not declared a candidacy, but might run as an independent candidate in the general election; it seems to be an open question as to whether he would caucus with the Republicans. Apparently, the fact that he is not registered as a Republican voter complicates the possibility of his running in the Republican primary.

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