Ford airs first TV ad since declaring candidacy for Senate
The 30-second ad, which Ford said was slated to start running statewide Thursday, does not mention his candidacy, instead focusing on his recent visit to the region and the need to remember troops there.
“A few weeks ago, I returned from my third trip to the Middle East, once again reminding me that in war there are no Democrats or Republicans, just Americans,” Ford said in the ad, speaking into the camera as images of soldiers flash behind him.
Ford, a Memphis Democrat, is running in 2006 for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist.
In a telephone interview, the congressman said he started his ads with an issue that many people are thinking about, and plans to run an “issue-rich and issue-driven campaign.”
“Over the next 16 months and 3 weeks, this is the conversation I’m going to have with Tennesseans,” he said.
Ford said the U.S. may need “a broader approach,” in Iraq, and cited a letter he sent to President Bush earlier this month asking for a candid assessment of the progress in training Iraqi forces.
GOP candidates in the race include former Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary, and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. State Sen. Rosalind Kurita is the only other declared Democratic candidate.
The five-term congressman spent months saying he was planning to run for the Senate, but did not formally announce his candidacy until late last month.
Bob Davis, the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, said he had not heard of any other declared Senate candidates running ads yet.
“Most people right now, they’re not paying attention to political campaigns,” he said.
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On the Net:
Congressman Harold Ford Jr.: http://www.fordfortennessee.com/
Tennessee Republican Party: http://www.tngop.org/