Who Is Emily Threlkeld, Harold Ford Jr.’s Wife?

Emily Threlkeld (born January 2, 1981; Age: 43 years old) is a publicist, businesswoman, and the wife of Harold Ford Jr. As the wife of a former U.S Congressmen and current Fox News political contributor, Emily’s life is practically under the spotlight with a lot of media attention on her.

The interracial marriage between her and Harold is another part of her life that has drawn public attention. Despite these distractions, Emily is an accomplished woman in her own right. She doesn’t just bask in the glory of being a celebrity wife.

How Old is Emily Threlkeld?

Emily Threlkeld is currently 43 years old, as she was born on January 2, 1981. The publicist was born in Naples, Florida, in the United States of America. This makes her an American by nationality and Caucasian by ethnicity. Her parents have been identified as Tom Threlkeld and Deborah Beard.

Emily is yet to share vital information about her childhood days and whether she shared them with any siblings. For now, she is the only publicly recognized child of her parents. Her parents, however, divorced when she was just two years old. Thus, there is every possibility that she is the only child they had before the divorce.

Emily’s mother is now married to Anson Beard, a popular Wall Street investor who was also the chairman of Morgan Stanley. Through her mother’s second marriage, Emily has a step-brother named Peter, who works in the fashion industry as a photographer and photojournalist.

For her education, Emily went all the way to college. She is a graduate of the University of Miami, a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. She bagged a degree in business and marketing at the university and launched her career in the field shortly afterward.

Is Emily Threlkeld Harold Ford Jr.’s First Wife?

Emily Threlkeld is not just the first wife of Harold Ford Jr., but she is also the only woman he has ever married. The two met at a wedding ceremony in New Orleans on an undisclosed date. They began dating when Harold was a known player in political circles and was popular among the ladies. However, meeting Emily changed him for good, and he asked her to marry him.

They got married on April 26, 2008, at Trinity Cathedral, Miami, Florida, United States,
and their interracial marriage has been a hot topic in the media since then. 15 years after their wedding, Harold and Emily are now parents to two kids. Their first child, a daughter, was born in December 2013 and named Georgia Walker Ford. The second child is a son named Harold Eugene Ford III, who was born in May 2015.

Emily Threlkeld is a private person and hardly makes public appearances with her husband. However, she worked with him closely during his Senate campaign in Tennessee.

Emily Threlkeld Married Into a Highly-respected Political Family

The Ford political family is one of the known African-American families in the American political circle. Emily’s father-in-law, Harold Eugene Ford Sr. (Born May 20, 1945), is an American politician. A Democratic former member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area, the older Ford served in this office for 11 terms (twenty years), lasting from 1975 to 1997, when he retired.

Ford Sr. made history as the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Congress. When he retired from Congress, his son ran for the same seat and won. Harold Sr. has only retired but definitely not tired. He is still a contributor to Democratic Party affairs and has also served as a lobbyist across many quarters.

The history of the Ford political family goes back to their great-grandfather Newton Ford (1856–1919), who paid his dues as a civic leader around the southern section of Shelby County. Newton Ford served as a county squire from 1888 to 1900 after he was elected to occupy the position. His son, Newton Jackson (Harold Ford Jr.’s grandfather), later ran for the Tennessee House in 1966 but was not elected. He was, however, close to E.H. Crump, a Memphis Caucasian politician who had influence in the 20th century.

Emily Threlkeld’s Husband, Harold Ford Jr., Served in Congress from 1997 to 2007

Harold Eugene Ford Jr. (Born May 11, 1970) is currently working in different capacities, including as a financial managing director and author. His most prominent job so far is the time he spent in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party from Tennessee’s 9th congressional district. The former Congressman served his district from 1997 to 2007 in the same seat his father held for more than twenty years.

Many years after his last tenure in Congress, Ford Jr. is still active in politics, especially through his contributions to the media industry. He worked for Morgan Stanley as a managing director between 2011 to 2017, and during this time, he did other things like making occasional TV appearances on channels like CNN, NBC, and many more.

He became the Vice Chairman of Corporate & Institutional Banking at PNC Financial Services in 2020, and in 2021, Ford Jr. took the job of a contributor at Fox News. Earlier in 2022, Fox News named him a co-host of The Five.

Harold Ford Jr.’s Wife is a Publicist and Marketing Consultant

After leaving college, Emily didn’t waste time launching her career. She first worked as a publicist for a fashion designer identified as Nina Ricci. Her job description involved dressing up celebrities and handling their publicity tasks. She also worked as an assistant for both Mario Grauso and Carolina Herrera. During this time, she gained experience and honed her skills.

She also worked at a design conglomerate called Puig. Emily Threlkeld is currently working for her husband as his marketing consultant. The power couple has become a force to reckon with in the media industry. The years she spent in the fashion industry were not in vain, as Emily Threlkeld’s estimated net worth is pegged at $3 million. Her husband has a higher net worth estimated to be over $20 million.