Harold Ford Jr Net Worth: How Much Is the Former Congressman Worth?
Harold Ford Jr is a former U.S. Congressman, a financial executive, a political commentator, and an author. He served as a Democrat from Tennessee’s 9th congressional district from 1997 to 2007, and was the last chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006, but lost to Republican Bob Corker. He is currently a vice chairman of PNC Financial Services, a political contributor for Fox News, and a co-host of The Five. How much is Harold Ford Jr worth, and how did he earn his wealth?
Early Life and Education
Harold Ford Jr was born on May 11, 1970, in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of Harold Ford Sr, who was the first African American congressman from Tennessee, and Dorothy Bowles Ford. He has two brothers, Jake and Isaac, and two half-siblings, Andrew and Ava, from his father’s second marriage. He grew up in a prominent and politically active family, and was exposed to the workings of Washington from an early age. He attended St. Albans School, a prestigious private school in D.C., where he graduated in 1988. He then went to the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in history and founded an African American student newspaper. He graduated with a B.A. in 1992. He then attended the University of Michigan Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1996.
Political Career
Harold Ford Jr followed his father’s footsteps and entered politics in 1996, when he ran for his father’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won the Democratic primary and the general election, becoming the youngest member of Congress at the age of 26. He was also the first African American to succeed a parent in Congress. He was re-elected four times, serving from 1997 to 2007. He was a member of the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services. He was also a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats. He supported the invasion of Iraq, the Patriot Act, the Federal Marriage Amendment, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which deregulated the financial industry. He also advocated for universal health care, embryonic stem cell research, and drug policy reform. He was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, and delivered the keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention.
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In 2006, Harold Ford Jr decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the retiring Bill Frist, the Republican majority leader. He faced Bob Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga, in a close and contentious race. He campaigned as a centrist and a reformer, and attracted support from both Democrats and Republicans. He also faced attacks from his opponents, who accused him of being too liberal, too inexperienced, and too cozy with lobbyists. He also faced racial backlash, as some voters were reluctant to elect an African American senator in a predominantly white state. He lost the election by a narrow margin of 51% to 48%. He was the first African American to win a statewide primary in Tennessee, and the closest an African American had come to winning a Senate seat in the South since Reconstruction.
Post-Political Career
After leaving Congress, Harold Ford Jr pursued a career in the private sector and the media. He became a professor at Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas at Austin, and New York University. He also became a managing director at Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm, where he worked from 2011 to 2017. He also became a political analyst and commentator for NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and CNBC. He also wrote a book, More Davids Than Goliaths: A Political Education, which was published in 2010. In 2020, he was named vice chairman of Corporate & Institutional Banking at PNC Financial Services, a major bank holding company. In 2021, he joined Fox News as a political contributor, and in 2022, he became a co-host of The Five, a popular talk show.
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Net Worth
According to various sources, Harold Ford Jr has a net worth of around $10 million as of 2023. His main sources of income are his salaries and bonuses from his executive positions at Morgan Stanley and PNC Financial Services, his fees and royalties from his media appearances and book sales, and his investments and assets. He also received political contributions and donations during his campaigns, which he used to fund his expenses and activities. He lives in a luxury apartment in New York City with his wife, Emily Threlkeld, whom he married in 2008. They have two children, Georgia and Harold III.
Harold Ford Jr is a former congressman, a financial executive, a political commentator, and an author. He has a net worth of around $10 million, which he earned from his various endeavors and achievements. He is a prominent and influential figure in the American political and economic landscape. He is Harold Ford Jr, and this is his net worth.
