Harold Ford Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father, Harold Ford Sr., when he began a career in politics. In 1996, Ford Sr., who represented Tennessee in the House for 11 terms, decided against running for reelection. At just 26 years old, Ford Jr. swiftly took his place. According to the US government's official historical record, Ford's mother reported that "as a four–year–old attending his father's swearing–in as a freshman House Member, Harold, Jr., raised his hand and declared, 'This is what I want to be when I grow up." Ford Jr. was reelected four times, serving in Congress until 2007.
While holding office, Ford Jr. spoke at the DNC in support of Al Gore in 2000. According to CNN's political archive, in his speech, Ford Jr. leveraged his youth to garner support for Gore, saying, "I also stand here representing a new generation, a generation committed to those ideals and inspired by an unshakable confidence in our future."
Despite his admiration for his father, Ford Jr. had no intention of acting as an extension of Ford Sr. The US government's official historical archive reports that Ford Jr. said, "I don't think [my father] would respect me if I didn't have the fortitude to disagree with him if I felt he was wrong."
He successfully established his own reputation, even going as far to build positive relationships with his father's political rivals.
Among the committees he served on were Education and The Workforce, Financial Services, and Government Reform.