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Although Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D) has long been expected to run for the seat now held by retiring Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist (R) in 2006, the race to replace him in the Memphis-area 9th district remains remarkably unformed. Rumors run amok as to why no candidates have stepped forward - including the possibility that Ford will ultimately back away from the Senate race and seek re-election to the House. "There's been zero positioning for this safe Democratic seat by the scores of elected officials who have Congressional ambitions," said a Tennessee Democratic strategist. "This has sent the message to some Tennessee Democratic contributors and fundraisers that Congressman Ford will ultimately run for re-election and not run for the U.S. Senate." While it remains a real possibility that Ford will pass on a Senate bid, all signs seem to indicate he is running. He has stepped up his fundraising in the past six months, ending 2004 with $1.1 million in the bank; he has also been moving around the state for the past six years to raise his profile. Why then the trepidation from interested candidates? [more]

Congressman Ford Faces Hurdles As Black Senate Candidate In Southern State [more]