Harold Ford Jr. says that even though he’s decided not to run for U.S. Senate in New York, he hopes “another opportunity presents itself.”
The former Tennessee congressman has returned as a pundit on MSNBC. He said Tuesday morning on the cable news channel that it’s not the right time for him to run.
Ford announced his decision Monday night in a New York Times op-ed article. He had been publicly exploring a possible Democratic primary challenge for seven weeks.
Ford says he doesn’t want to divide the party and risk strengthening the Republicans’ chance to take Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (KUR’-stehn JIHL’-uh-brand) seat.
Gillibrand was appointed last year when Hillary Rodham Clinton became U.S. secretary of state.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
