Ophelia Ford

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Ophelia Ford is a member of the Tennessee Senate. She is the younger sister of former state senator John Ford and former Congressman Harold Ford, Sr., and the aunt of former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.. She represents Senate District 29, located in northwestern Shelby County.

John Ford, who had represented Senate District 29 for over 30 years, resigned in 2005 after he was indicted in Operation Tennessee Waltz. Ophelia Ford ran for her brother's state senate seat and defeated Henri Brooks by 20 votes in the special Democratic primary. She went on to defeat Republican candidate Terry Roland by 13 votes in the special general election. Both elections fell under allegations of improprieties. In the special general election, a state senate election committee confirmed 12 of the 13 votes were invalid. Names of deceased persons and felons were found on the rolls, and dozens of additional votes were counted from voters living outside the district. Further investigation of the election revealed that one of the election officials purportedly certifying the name of many of the voters in question was actually in New York City the day of the election and that her place was taken, without authorization, by a relative.

The Tennessee Senate initially voted along party lines to void the election. Ophelia Ford sued the State Senate and obtained an injunction from a federal court which upheld the election until the senate met provisions under the Voting Rights Act. The State Senate complied with the court’s order and voted to void the election by a margin of 26-6, on April 19, 2006.

Under Tennessee State law, the process of filling the district’s seat became the responsibility of the Shelby County Commission. Ophelia Ford vowed further legal action to regain the seat. On April 25th, 2006, Ophelia Ford filed a federal suit in an attempt to regain her seat.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated aspects of the election, and District Attorney Bill Gibbons obtained 37 indictments, 35 of which are felonies, against three Shelby County poll workers for alleged election fraud. Ford herself was not implicated.[1]

Ford ran for the seat again in the 2006 election, and won.