Wendell H. Ford (born September 8, 1924) is an American politician from Kentucky who belongs to the Democratic Party. Ford was born in Owensboro, Kentucky. Ford served in the United States Army during World War II. Ford served as the top assistant to Governor Bert T. Combs from 1959 to 1963. He then served in the state senate from 1965 until his election as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1967. He served until 1971, when he ran against his former mentor Combs in the Democratic primary and defeated him. He won the general election in November and served as governor unil 1974, when he was elected to the United States Senate, defeating incumbent Republican Marlow Cook. Cook resigned his seat in December so that Ford would have a higher standing in seniority in the Senate. He was reelected in 1980, 1986 and 1992. From 1991 to 1999 he served as Democratic Senate whip, the number two position among Senate Democrats, serving as Senate Majority Whip until 1995 and as Minority Whip until 1999.
Ford didn't run for a fifth term in 1998, electing instead to retire to Owensboro. He is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history.
