Ophelia Ford facts for kids

Ophelia Ford (born July 5, 1950) is a former member of the Tennessee Senate. She is part of a well-known political family in Tennessee. Her brother, John Ford, was also a state senator. Her other brother, Harold Ford, Sr., was a Congressman. Her nephew, Harold Ford, Jr., also served in Congress.

Ophelia Ford represented Senate District 29. This district covers parts of South Memphis and North Memphis.

Becoming a State Senator

In 2005, Ophelia Ford decided to run for a seat in the Tennessee Senate. This seat had been held by her brother, John Ford. She ran in a special election.

Winning the Election

First, Ophelia Ford won the special Democratic primary election. She defeated Henri Brooks by just 20 votes. A primary election helps a political party choose its candidate.

After the primary, she ran in the special general election. There, she faced Republican candidate Terry Roland. Ophelia Ford won this election by only 13 votes.

Questions About the Election

After the election, some questions were raised about how the votes were counted. People looked into the election process. The Tennessee Senate decided to cancel the election results.

Ophelia Ford then took legal action to keep her seat. A federal court supported her election for a time. However, the State Senate later voted again to void the election. This happened on April 19, 2006.

Filling the Vacant Seat

When the election was voided, the Shelby County Commission became responsible for filling the empty seat. Ophelia Ford continued to seek legal ways to get her seat back.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into parts of the election. Several poll workers were charged with issues related to the voting process. Ophelia Ford herself was not involved in these charges.

Moving to a New District

For the 2006 election, Ophelia Ford moved to a different district in Memphis. This new district was renumbered as District 33. She ran for the seat in this new district and won.

Time in Office

Ophelia Ford served in the Tennessee Senate until 2014. During her time as a senator, she was known for expressing strong opinions on various topics.

For example, in 2012, there was a proposal to increase penalties for harming healthcare workers. Senator Ford spoke out against this. She argued that patients also needed protection. She claimed that some nurses had done "horrible" things to her as a patient.