HARRIS, Katherine 1957-

PERSONAL: Born April 5, 1957, in Key West, FL; daughter of George Walter (a banking executive) and Harriet (a homemaker) Harris; married Thomas Arnold (an attorney), 1985 (divorced, 1989); married Sven Anders Axel Ebbeson (a business executive), December, 1996; children: one stepdaughter, Louise Ebbeson. Education: Attended University of Madrid, 1978; Agnes Scott College, Atlanta, GA, B.A., 1979; Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, M.P.A., 1996. Politics: Republican. Religion: Presbyterian. Hobbies and other interests: Painting, skiing, skeet shooting, marksmanship, reading.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—U.S. House of Representatives, 116 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Intern for Florida congressmen and governor, during college; marketing executive for IBM; vice president of a commercial real estate firm, Sarasota, FL; Florida senator, 1995-98 (chair of Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee, vice chair of Banking and Insurance and Government Reform and Oversight Committees); Florida's 23rd secretary of state, 1999-2002; U.S. Representative from Florida, 2003—. Former member, advisory council, Mote Marine Lab; Public Service Commission (member, nominating committee); member of Supreme Court Gender Bias Commission; member of arts and tourism committee, National Conference of State Legislators; member of Regulated Industries Committee, Ways and Means Committee, Finance and Tax Subcommittee, WAGES Targeted Economic Development select committee, Florida State Senate, 1996-98; appointed assistant majority whip in U.S. House of Representatives, 2003.

MEMBER: Habitat for Humanity, United Cerebral Palsy, Jaycees, John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art (former vice chairman of the board), New College, Women's Resource Center (presidential advisory council), Sarasota County Arts Council (former member, board of directors), Leadership Sarasota, Leadership Tampa (former member, nominating and steering committees), Sarasota, Englewood, Charlotte, Venice Chambers of Commerce.

AWARDS, HONORS: Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award, 1994; Florida Arts Advocacy Award Sarasota County Arts Council, 1995; Sarasota Magazine's Best Government Official Award, 1995; Sarasota Opera, Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, and Florida Optometric Association, Legislator of the Year Award, 1996; Florida Funeral Directors Association, Legislative Leadership Award, 1996; Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security, Legislative Appreciation Award, 1996; Florida Economic Development Council Legislator of the Year Award; Florida United Business Association Outstanding Legislator Award; Milton N. Fisher Award for International Trade Advocacy; Sarasota Humanitarian of the Year Award; Florida State Chamber of Commerce, Champion of Free Trade Award.

WRITINGS:

Center of the Storm: Practicing Principled Leadership in Times of Crisis, WND Books, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Florida state legislator Katherine Harris became nationally known during the days following the 2000 presidential election, when, in her position as Florida Secretary of State, she was called on to decide whether to extend a recount of Florida's ballots in the brutally close race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. Controversy over her role rose from the fact that she worked closely with Governor Jeb Bush, the presidential candidate's brother, and had been cochairman of the Florida campaign for George W. Bush. Harris insisted that state law required her to certify Florida's presidential election results by November 17, 2000, a deadline that did not allow enough time for hand recounts of votes in three large Florida counties, where Democrats believed Gore should have won. The Florida Supreme Court was called into the debate, ruling on November 21 that the recount should continue. Bush was eventually declared the victor, by some 500 votes.

As the "hanging" and "dimpled chads" of questionable ballots were painstakingly counted before television cameras, voters across America either praised or criticized Harris for her stand on the law. The weeks that followed the history-making election were a time of extreme trial for her. Even as she received positive e-mails and flowers from Republican supporters, many journalists made light of her television appearances, ridiculing her hair and makeup. Some even compared her to the evil Disney cartoon character "Cruella de Vil" of 101 Dalmations. TV talk show hosts and comedians made her the target of their jokes, and rumors circulated that she was having an affair with Jeb Bush. She even received death threats and was given bodyguards to protect her. Newsmakers quoted from a Time magazine article in which political analyst Richard Scher wrote, "She was completely unprepared for both this job and this crisis."

In an interview with Susan Burns, of Sarasota Magazine, Harris said her first response during this time was to turn to her husband, business executive Anders Ebbeson, and ask the rhetorical question, "What am I going to do? He said, 'Oh, that's simple. You just have to exercise extraordinary integrity because you have to live with yourself.'"

Harris tells her story of the crisis in Center of the Storm: Practicing Principled Leadership in Times of Crisis. As quoted in the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), she says that Gore "might have gotten a statewide recount if he hadn't decided to 'unleash the dogs of war.'" Her book is more than a retelling of the events of November, 2000, however. It is interspersed with passages about great leaders throughout history, among them Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Joan of Arc. The book abounds with inspiring quotes from famous people. It is divided into twelve key principles for leadership, such as "Know What You Believe," "Finish What You Start," "Embrace the Differences," and "Resist the Tyranny of the Urgent." The book also has a reading list and a section on "Myth Conceptions" (misconceptions about her role in the 2000 election), as well as lyrics from Christian singer/songwriter Wes King, Harris's brother-in-law.

A contributor to Publishers Weekly remarked that the book tries to cover too many genres but said Harris's "guarded honesty, self-effacing self-praise and innocuous humor"—especially as she defends herself from the many scathing attacks—carry it through. As quoted by Mary Lynn F. Jones in an article for the American Prospect, Harris said she wrote her book because she realized a need for "a 'boot camp' for leaders, a workshop or retreat designed to help legislators look deeply into how their motives, goals and principles could survive and prevail in the real world of government." In response, Jones wrote, "Call me crazy, but don't you think Harris would have gotten some of that training in her master's program at Harvard University?"

W. J. Rayment, in the Conservative Monitor, pointed out the skill with which Harris deals with the question of race in the election, since many black voters claimed to have been disenfranchised during the process. Rayment found that Harris proves herself "intellectually well-grounded," "hardworking," and "politically astute." He called her book "a bible for anyone in public office who must make hard choices."

Douglas LeBlanc, in Books & Culture, commented, "Harris's narrative is mostly free of malice, but she does settle a few scores. She responds vigorously to the majority report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which blamed Harris and Florida Governor Jeb Bush for the state's electoral mess." LeBlanc concluded, "Readers who remain convinced that Al Gore was robbed of the presidency may find her book more tedious than convincing, but it's refreshing to see Harris in a more complex light than she enjoyed in the rubble of the 2000 presidential campaign."

Burns concluded, after outlining Harris's many successes since the 2000 election ordeal—including a successful campaign for Florida state representative—that "Harris, in addition to her energy and work ethic, has withstood the ultimate political trial by fire, making a tough decision while the whole world watched and then sticking by her guns." Toby Harnden, in an article for Europe Intelligence Wire, quoted Harris as saying, "With politics, everything can change in a moment. I think I'm a better person for having gone through the recount. On the other hand, it's going to take me a long time to build my way back from all of the outrageous things that were said."

Richard Jerome, with others, in an article for People, wrote, "Whatever scenario Harris has in mind for herself . . . she will endure as a symbol of an election that, more than any other, gave Americans a long hard look at the messy details of their cherished democracy."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Newsmakers, Issue 3, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2001.

PERIODICALS

Books & Culture, March-April, 2003, Douglas LeBlanc, "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way," review of Center of the Storm: Practicing Principled Leadership in Times of Crisis, p. 20.

Europe Intelligence Wire, October 30, 2002, Toby Harnden, "An Affair with Bush's Brother? Puhlease."

People, December 4, 2000, Richard Jerome, Linda Trischitta, Lori Rozsa, Siobhan Morrissey, and Kristin Harmel, "Storm Center: Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris Faces a Torrent of Praise and Abuse," p. 81.

Publishers Weekly, September 30, 2002, review of Center of the Storm, p. 63.

Sarasota Magazine, summer, 2002, Susan Burns, "Life of the Party: Now Campaigning for a Seat in Congress, Sarasota's Katherine Harris Is the Toast of the Republican Elite," p. 54.

Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), August 26, 2002, "Fla. Official Tells about Gore's No-Win Election," p. 34.

Washington Times, October 16, 2002, Scott Galupo, "Katherine Harris Center of Attention."

ONLINE

American Prospect,http://www.prospect.org/ (April 16, 2003), Mary Lynn F. Jones, "Katherine Harris Goes to Washington, and Writes a Book on 'Principled Leadership.' Oh, the Chutzpah!"

CNN,http://cnn.com/ (April 16, 2003), John Mercurio, "Katherine Harris Writing Book on Florida Account."

Conservative Monitor,http://www.conservativemonitor.com/ (December 3, 2002), W. J. Rayment, review of Center of the Storm.

Infoplease,http://www.infoplease.com/ (April 16, 2003), "Biography of Katherine Harris."

Katherine Harris for Congress,http://www.electharris.org/ (April 16, 2003) "About Katherine."

U.S. House of Representatives,http://www.house.gov/harris/ (April 16, 2003), "Representative Katherine Harris."*