Harold Ford Jr. might be gunning for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s job now, but less than a year ago the former Tennessee congressman gave a $1.000 donation to her to her campaign war chest.

The Tennessee transplant — who wrote in The Post today that he is “strongly” considering a run for Gillibrand’s Senate seat — dug into his pockets for the fellow Democrat last spring, giving his possible 2010 primary opponent a donation on June 5, 2009, according to campaign finance records.

His spokesman, Davidson Goldin, said Ford was just showering the Senator, who was appointed by Gov. Paterson six months earlier, with some Southern hospitality.

“She’d just been appointed and a friend asked him to help,” said Goldin, adding that the largess was “before she spent a year towing the line in Washington instead of serving the needs of New Yorkers.”