Alum vying for House leadership

A young Penn alumnus is vying to become one of the most powerful politicians in Washington.

1992 College graduate Harold Ford Jr., a Democratic congressman from Tennessee and one of the youngest members of the House of Representatives, is running for House Minority Leader.

Ford, 32, will face Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in Thursday's race. Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) stepped down as minority leader last week after the Democrats lost several House seats in the midterm elections.

Though Pelosi, one of the more liberal Democrats in the House, is expected to win easily, Ford says he still believes he has a chance.

He told The New York Times Saturday that he knew Pelosi would win if the election were held right away, but that he does not think that "come Thursday, the numbers she has will hold."

Ford is at a disadvantage because he did not enter the race until Friday, after Pelosi's other opponent, moderate Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.) dropped out. Ford is also a moderate and has said that Pelosi is just too far left to lead the party where he feels it needs to go.

Penn Political Science Department Chairman Jack Nagel said both Ford's age and Pelosi's strength are working against the Tennessee congressman.

"It's not a position that would normally go to somebody so junior," Nagel said, adding that "Congresswoman Pelosi seemed to already have the votes sewn up before Ford entered."

If he does win the race, Ford will become the first black majority or minority leader in the House or the Senate. If Pelosi wins, she will be the first woman to lead either party in either house of Congress.

Last Tuesday, Ford was elected to his fourth term in the House. He represents Tennessee's ninth district, which includes Memphis.

Ford is considered an up-and-comer in the Democratic Party. He was born into a political family: his father, Harold Ford Sr., once held the same seat the younger Ford has now, and several other members of the Ford family are involved in Tennessee politics.

Ford Jr. also delivered the keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention, an honor that generally goes to rising political stars.

Nagel said Ford's run for minority leader, even if it proves unsuccessful, will likely help the young congressman build his political future.

"For his career, it's probably going to do some good in that it's made him at least briefly visible on the news," Nagel said. "He'll be seen as somebody who is setting people on notice that he has ambitions and aspires to positions of leadership."

When he was at Penn, Ford helped found the black student newspaper, The Vision. He also wrote a column called "Papa Don't Take No Mess" for The Daily Pennsylvanian. At Commencement, he won the Spoon Award, the highest honor a male Penn graduate can receive.

After leaving Penn, Ford went on to earn a law degree from the University of Michigan.

He returned to Penn in 2001 to speak at the College graduation ceremony.

"By all measurements, things are good," Ford told the graduates. "But it is our responsibility to make things even better."

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