Harris, Katherine, 1957-

<p>Katherine Harris (born April 5, 1957) is an American politician, elected in 1998 as Secretary of State of Florida and in 2002 to the United States House of Representatives from Florida. A Republican, Harris won the 2002 election to represent Florida's 13th congressional district, serving for two terms, from 2003 to 2007. Harris lost her campaign in 2006 for a United States Senate seat from Florida.</p>

<p>In 1994, Harris was noted for the most expensive campaign for the Florida Senate to date, winning her seat that year in her entry into electoral politics. In the 2000 presidential election, Harris gained national attention for her role in the Florida election recount, certifying George W. Bush's narrow victory (537 votes) over Al Gore and awarding him the Florida electors, which gained him the national election.</p>

<p>Harris was born in Key West, Florida, to one of the state's wealthiest and most politically influential families. She is the daughter of Harriet (Griffin) and George W. Harris, Jr., who owned Citrus and Chemical Bank in Lakeland, Florida. Her maternal grandfather was Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., a successful businessman in the citrus and cattle industries and a powerful figure in the state legislature. Shortly before his death in 1990, he was ranked as the 261st richest American on the Forbes 400 list. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida is named for him.</p>

<p>The 2000 presidential ballot recount in Florida thrust Katherine Harris into the national spotlight in her role as the state’s chief election officer, but it also obscured her meteoric career and deep political roots. Having worked to bring business to Florida both as a state senator and as secretary of state, Harris won election to the U.S. House in 2002 and secured seats on the influential Financial Services; International Relations; and Homeland Security Committees.</p>

<p>Katherine Harris was born on April 5, 1957, at the Key West Naval Base in Florida to George Walter Harris, a banking executive, and Harriett Griffin Harris. Katherine Harris is the granddaughter of Ben Hill Griffin Jr., a citrus magnate and Democratic state senator. She attended Bartow High School and graduated in 1979 from Agnes Scott College with a BA in history; she later earned an MPA from Harvard in 1996. After graduating from college, Harris worked as a marketing executive for a major computer corporation and then served as vice president of a Sarasota commercial real estate company. In 1996 she married Anders Ebbeson, a business executive, and they raised one child, Louise.</p>

<p>Harris decided to enter politics in 1994 when she made a successful run for the Florida state senate. During her four years as a state legislator, she chaired the commerce and economic development committee. In 1998 Harris successfully ran for the Florida secretary of state post and was responsible primarily for handling corporate filings and implementing state election procedures. She used her office to attract international business, the arts, and historic preservation into the state. In 2000 she was named the Florida co-chair for the George W. Bush presidential campaign. Harris garnered national attention as Florida’s top election official during the state’s historic ballot recount that eventually decided the election in George W. Bush’s favor by a slender margin. In 2002 she published a book about the experience, <i>Center of the Storm</i>.</p>