An ad hoc committee of the State Senate voted last week to recommend to the full Senate that the special election Ford won be vacated due to voting irregularities in the district.
Ford had apparently defeated Republican Terry Roland by 13 votes in a special election to fill a seat that came open upon the sudden resignation of State Sen. John Ford (D-Memphis). John Ford, Ophelia’s brother, has since been indicted in the “Tennessee Waltz” public corruption investigation.
The full Senate is expected to hear the recommendation of the ad hoc committee tomorrow and is expected to vacate the election at that time.
A vacancy in this seat would be filled by an appointment from the Shelby County Commission until a November election. The GOP-controlled commission would likely select a Republican to serve the final month of the 104th General Assembly. This move would give the Republicans in the State Senate an even greater majority of 19 to 14.
This gain would probably be temporary, however. Seasoned political observers on both sides of the aisle say privately that they would be amazed if a Republican could hold the seat in November.
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