Monday, November 13, 2006
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. declared Monday he has no interest in chairing the Democratic National Committee, tamping down speculation he would challenge current chairman Howard Dean for the post.
"I have just finished a tough Senate election, and while I care about the future direction of my party, I am not interested in taking over the DNC," the Tennessee Democrat said in a statement released by his campaign. "We are now the majority party in the House and Senate, and it is time to move beyond the politics of the campaign and work towards bringing the country together around a common agenda that will strengthen us at home and abroad."
Ford unsuccessfully sought retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's, R-Tennessee, seat. He leaves office when the 110th Congress convenes early next year and has given no indication as to his future plans.
"The attention of the world is upon us and it is time the Democratic Party take the country in a new direction," Ford stated.
-- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
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