Posted on 01/24/2006 9:14:06 PM PST by SmithL
NASHVILLE - Ophelia Ford won the election to replace her brother in the Tennessee Senate by a mere 13 votes in September, and her hold on the seat remains tenuous.
Senate Republicans tried to void her election last week, but a federal judge halted that effort and will hold a hearing on the matter today.
Ford's Memphis district is predominantly black, and she has decried the move to void the election as a racist power grab.
Republicans have complained that felons and nonresidents were allowed to vote in the election, and The Commercial Appeal newspaper found two ballots cast in the names of dead people.
Ford was declared the winner of the seat held by her brother, John Ford, until he was arrested on federal corruption charges last year. She received 4,333 votes, while Republican challenger Terry Roland had 4,320 in the Sept. 15 special election.
Besides the two ballots cast in the names of dead people, Roland and his supporters have said as many as 150 other votes were improper.
"As far as my colleagues are concerned, I'm not accusing them of being racist," Ford said.
Both Ford and Roland have said the integrity of the ballot box is important and they want any wrongdoing exposed.
There have been no allegations that Ophelia Ford did anything wrong, and she is still awaiting results from investigations by a Senate committee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Committee members decided Tuesday to defer their final report to the Senate until after the federal hearing.
In her order, U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald stopped the Senate "from proceeding to take any action to affirm or void the election pending a hearing."
I really hope the judge makes the injunction permanent. I've got my popcorn all ready in order to watch Scalia, Thomas, Alito et al. rip this boob a new one (assuming they can get Kennedy to join them, of course). I hope they let Scalia write the opinion.
Seems like this should be a safe seat for a Dim. Surprised cheating was even necessary in this instance.
Shades of Washington State and the illegal fraudulent election of guv (fraudoire) gregoire. I doubt very seriously that an equally corrupt & compliant left-wing judiciary will throw this election out. If a judge in WA could decide that thousands of cast ballots more than registered voters could still count, than why should this election be overruled because of a measly 150 fraudulent votes. DimWits NEVER lose elections or get overturned, for elections they win by corruption, fraud, cheating & deceit. That's why they are called RAT B@ST@RDS!
bump
She is also a good family friend of the Ford's. There is no way she should have been the one to hear this case.
I suspect she will hang on to the seat. She is a Dem. Pubbies always take the high road and don't protest. Just think of all the elections we would have won if only the Pubbies would have protested. Starting with JFK in 1960.
A few years ago in N.J. the big boys refused to intervene, didn't they?
Yes but of course as the "experts" tell us this will have NO effect on the senate race and lil harrie will win. This despite the fact that Tennessee is moving right and he is a liberal Democrat.
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