Katherine Harris
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 13th district
In office 2003–2007
Preceded by	Dan Miller
Succeeded by	Vern Buchanan
Secretary of State of Florida
In office 1999–2003
Preceded by	Sandra Mortham
Succeeded by	James C. Smith
Born	April 5, 1957 (1957-04-05) (age 51) Key West, Florida
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Anders Ebbeson
Religion	Non-denominational Protestant

Katherine Harris (born April 5, 1957, Key West, Florida) is an American Republican politician and former Secretary of State of Florida and a former member of the US House of Representatives. Harris won the 2002 election to represent Florida's 13th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. She held that post from 2003 to 2007. Harris lost the November 7, 2006 election to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Katherine Harris, to replace Image:Ac. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Floridas 13th congressional district encompasses all of Sarasota, DeSoto, and Hardee County, and most of Manatee County, except for a small northern coastal portion in District 11. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Dan Miller Daniel (Dan) Miller (born May 30, 1942) is an American Republican politician from the state of Florida. ... Vernon Vern Buchanan (born May 8, 1951) is a Republican politician and an automobile dealer. ... Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Key West redirects here. ... GOP redirects here. ... A non-denominational church (usually Christian) is a religious organization which does not necessarily align its mission and teachings to an established denomination. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Key West redirects here. ... GOP redirects here. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... The U.S. House election, 2002 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 2002 in the middle of President George W. Bushs first term. ... Floridas 13th congressional district encompasses all of Sarasota, DeSoto, and Hardee County, and most of Manatee County, except for a small northern coastal portion in District 11. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States...

Harris rose to national attention due to her role as Secretary of State of Florida during the 2000 Presidential Election. Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States. ... (Redirected from 2000 Presidential Election) Map The U.S. presidential election of 2000 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7. ...

Background

Harris' family is one of Florida's wealthiest and most politically influential.^[1] Her father owned Citrus and Chemical Bank in Lakeland, Florida.^[2] Her grandfather was Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., a wealthy businessman in the citrus and cattle industries and a powerful figure in the state legislature.^[3] Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida is named for him.^[4] Harris married Swedish businessman Anders Sven Axel Ebbeson (born March 16, 1945) in 1996 and has one stepdaughter, Louise. A view of Lakelands business district, early 1920s Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. ... Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. ... Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (aka The Swamp) is the American football stadium for the University of Florida’s football team, nicknamed the Gators. ... -1... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

Harris, comes from a family that is active in Christian evangelism.^[5] Her grandfather was a Christian missionary in Africa, while her aunt and uncle were missionaries in India and now head the Arab World Missions.^[5] Harris studied under Dr. Francis Schaeffer at a L’Abris Fellowship International center. She says her faith is “the most important thing in my life.”^[5] Harris grew up in the Presbyterian Church in America (she has criticised the Presbyterian Church (USA) for being "more liberal"^[5]). Currently she attends Calvary Chapel in Sarasota, Florida.^[5]. Francis A. Schaeffer (30 January 1912 – 15 May 1984), an American Evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor, is most famous for his writings and his establishment of the LAbri community in Switzerland. ... The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is a Protestant denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education. ... Emblem of the PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PC(USA) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. ... Calvary Chapels dove logo which represents the Holy Spirit. ... Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida. ...

Education and early career

Harris graduated from Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida in 1975, and then attended Spain's University of Madrid in 1978. Harris received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia in 1979, and then studied under Christian theologian Francis Schaeffer at the L'Abri community in Huemoz, Switzerland, not far from Lausanne. While in college she was an intern for U.S. Representative Andy Ireland. Harris received a mid-career masters degree in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 1997 with a concentration in international trade. Before entering politics, Harris was a marketing executive at IBM and a vice president of a commercial real estate firm.^[6] Bartow High School, formerly Summerlin Institute is the only high school located in Bartow, Florida. ... Bartow is a city located in the U.S. State of Florida in Central Florida east of the Tampa Bay area. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Madrid can refer to several academic institutions in Madrid, Spain: The Complutense University of Madrid (Spanish: Universidad Complutense de Madrid) The Autonomous University of Madrid (Spanish: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, UAM) The Pontifical Comillas University of Madrid (Spanish: Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid) This is a... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... A B.A. issued from the University of Tennessee. ... For other uses, see History (disambiguation). ... Buttrick Hall Looking across the quad McCain Library at dusk Agnes Scott College is a private liberal arts womens college in Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. ... Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia Coordinates: , Country State County DeKalb Area  - Total 4. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Francis A. Schaeffer (30 January 1912 – 15 May 1984), an American Evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor, is most famous for his writings and his establishment of the LAbri community in Switzerland. ... LAbri (from the French word meaning shelter) is an evangelical Christian organization founded by Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith in Huemoz, Switzerland on June 5, 1955. ... Ollon is a municipality in the district of Aigle of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... Andrew Poysell Ireland (born August 23, 1930) was a US Representative from Florida. ... Harvard redirects here. ... John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government is a public policy school and one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... International trade is the exchange of goods and services across international boundaries or territories. ... For other uses, see IBM (disambiguation) and Big Blue. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ...

Early political career

Harris entered politics by winning election to the Florida Senate in 1994 in one of the most expensive state races in Florida history to date.^[7] Harris' political career was guided by Dan Berger, Adam Goodman, and Benjamin McKay, along with her campaign manager, David Lapides. The Florida Senate is part of the Legislative branch of government for the state of Florida. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... For the comic book artist, see Dan Berger. ...

Florida Senate and Riscorp

In the 1994 state senate election, Sarasota-based Riscorp, Inc. made illegal contributions totalling $400,000 to dozens of political candidates and committees,^[8] including $20,600 to the Harris campaign.^[9] Ms. Harris played a prominent role in introducing the CEO of Riscorp to various Florida legislators. Two years later, in 1996, Harris sponsored a bill "to block Riscorp competitors from getting a greater share of Florida workers' compensation market, [and] also pushed a proposal that would hurt a particular competitor."^[8] This issue later emerged during her campaign for Florida Secretary of State in 1998. According to a SunHerald column from June, 2005, "Harris denied any knowledge of the scheme, was never charged with any crime and was cleared of wrongdoing by a state investigator."^[10] The CEO of Riscorp, William Griffin, eventually pled guilty to illegal campaign donations amongst allegations of other serious wrongdoing at Riscorp and served prison time. Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida. ... Workers compensation (colloquially known as workers comp in North American English or compo in Australia) provides insurance to cover medical care and compensation for employees who are injured in the course of employment, in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employees right to sue his or her employer for...

Secretary of State

Harris was elected Florida Secretary of State in 1998, defeating then-incumbent Sandra Mortham.^[11] Her office played a leading role in the closely contested 2000 U.S. presidential election. Her SoS campaign was guided by Mark Reichelderfer, Trey Evers, Benjamin McKay, Adam Goodman and sometimes Dan Berger.

International travel

During her first 22 months in office, Harris spent more than $106,000 for travel, more than any cabinet officer or the governor. She visited eight countries on ten foreign trips, which included Iran, India, and Holland. List of Governors of Florida: Florida Governors Military Government Territorial Government Statehood Categories: Lists of United States governors | Governors of Florida | Government of Florida ...

In early 2001, Florida Senate leaders eliminated the $3.4 million that Harris had budgeted for international relations for the year, assigning it instead to Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency. But Florida House leader Tom Feeney said that he disagreed with the Senate and felt Harris was an able advocate to foreign countries. After the House refused to go along with the proposed budget action, the Senate agreed to restore the money but insisted on a review committee, appointed by Senate President John McKay, Feeney, and governor Jeb Bush, to evaluate all of Harris' expenditures on international affairs since July 1, 1999, and produce a report.^[12] This article is about the year. ... Thomas Charles Tom Feeney III, usually known as Tom Feeney (born May 21, 1958), is a Republican politician from the state of Florida. ... John Ellis Jeb Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician, and was the 43rd Governor of Florida. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

2000 US presidential election

Main articles: Florida Central Voter File and Florida election recount

As Secretary of State for the State of Florida, Harris was a central figure in the contested 2000 US presidential election in Florida. There were allegations of conflicts of interest and partisan and unethical behavior during the 2000 campaign. Harris had been named as Bush's Florida campaign co-chair the year before. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Florida Recount of 2000 was a period of vote re-counting that occurred following the unclear results of the 2000 US presidential election. ... Map The U.S. presidential election of 2000 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7. ... A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, a politician, or an executive or director of a corporation, has competing professional or personal interests. ...

Harris certified that the Republican candidate, then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, had defeated the Democratic candidate, then-Vice President Al Gore, in the popular vote of Florida and thus certified the Republican slate of electors. Her ruling was challenged and overturned on appeal by Florida's Supreme Court; this decision, however, was itself reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. That Court ruled (5-4) that Gore's request to extend Florida's statutory deadline for ballot re-counts had no merit because no Florida law at the time provided for that option. This ruling nullified the state court's decision, upholding Harris' certification. The decision foreclosed any further court challenges by Gore and resulted in Bush's margin of victory in Florida being officially tallied at 537 votes. Therefore, Florida's electoral votes — and the Presidency — went to Bush. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... This article is about the former Vice President of the United States. ... Electoral votes by state/federal district, for the elections of 2004 and 2008 The United States Electoral College is a term used to describe the 538 President Electors who meet every 4 years to cast the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States; their votes represent... The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Holding In the circumstances of this case, any manual recount of votes seeking to meet the December 12 “safe harbor” deadline would be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. ...

Harris later wrote Center of the Storm, her own memoir of the 2000 election controversy, in which she presents her side and takes issue with her critics. She was also heavily featured in the documentary Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election.

United States Congresswoman

In 2002, Harris ran against Sarasota Attorney Jan Schneider for the congressional district vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Dan Miller, winning by 10 percentage points in this predominantly Republican - but very moderate - district. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Dr Jan Schneider (born June 3, 1947) is a Democratic politician. ... Dan Miller Daniel (Dan) Miller (born May 30, 1942) is an American Republican politician from the state of Florida. ...

Harris considered running for the seat of retiring Senator Bob Graham in 2004 but was reportedly dissuaded by the Bush White House to allow Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez to run for the open seat. Martinez went on to narrowly beat challenger Betty Castor. Harris ran for re-election to her House seat in 2004; she was re-elected with a margin four points lower than her previous showing.^[13] For other persons named Daniel Graham, see Daniel Graham (disambiguation). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Melquíades Rafael Mel Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-American, who is currently the junior United States Senator from Florida and the General Chairman of the Republican Party. ... Betty Castor (born Elizabeth Bowe in Glassboro, New Jersey on May 11, 1941) is an American politician and educator who has served as Florida Education Commissioner and President of the University of South Florida. ...

In a 2004 speech in Venice, Florida, Harris claimed that a "Middle Eastern" man was arrested for attempting to blow up the power grid in Carmel, Indiana;^[14] Carmel Mayor James Brainard and a spokesman for Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan said they had no knowledge of such a plot. Brainard said he had never spoken to Harris.^[15] Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Carmel (IPA: ) is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. ... Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946), widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana on September 13, 2003 upon the death of Frank OBannon. ...

During a 2004 campaign stop in Sarasota, a local resident, Barry Seltzer, "tr[ied] to 'intimidate' a group of Harris supporters" by menacing Harris and her supporters with his automobile. Witnesses described Seltzer as having swerved off the road and onto the sidewalk, directing it at Harris and her supporters. Nobody was injured in the incident. Seltzer, who claimed he was "exercising [his] political expression," was eventually arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.^[16] Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Involvement in the MZM scandal

In 2005 and 2006, Harris faced political controversy when a major corporate campaign donor, defense contractor MZM, Inc., was implicated in a bribery scandal that resulted in the criminal conviction and resignation of California congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham and conviction of MZM founder, Mitchell Wade. Wade bundled together $32,000 in contributions from employees of MZM, and reimbursed those employees for their contributions.^[17] A defense contractor (sometimes called a military contractor) is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a defense department of a government. ... The Cunningham Scandal is a US political scandal in which defense contractors paid bribes to members of Congress, and officials in the US Defense Department, in return for political favors in the form of federal contracts. ... Randy Duke Cunningham speaking January 2005 Randall Harold Cunningham (born December 8, 1941), usually known as Randy or Duck, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Californias 50th Congressional District. ... Mitchell J. Mitch Wade (c. ...

Regarding this issue, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein has recently said that Harris did not appear to know the donations were obtained illegally.^[17] Harris has maintained she had no personal knowledge that her campaign was given illegal contributions. For its part, Wade admitted that the donations to the Harris campaign were illegal and were part of an attempt to influence Harris to MZM's benefit.^[18] United States Attorneys represent the U.S. federal government in United States district court. ...

Documents filed with Wade's plea say that he took Harris to dinner in March of 2005, a year after the illegal contributions, where they discussed the possibility of another fundraiser and the possibility of getting funding for a Navy counterintelligence program in the member's district.^[19] Counterintelligence or counter-espionage is the act of seeking and indentifying espionage activities. ...

Harris sent a letter on April 26, 2005, to defense appropriations subcommittee Chairman C.W. Bill Young, in which Harris sought $10 million for a Navy project backed by Wade.^[20] In the letter, Harris emphasized the importance of the project, asking that it be added to her list of five priorities and identifying it as her new No. 3. (Harris has released the April 26 letter, but neither she nor Young would turn over the request form used for the proposal.)^[21] is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles William Bill Young, also known as C.W. Bill Young, (born December 16, 1930), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1971, representing the 10th District of Florida (map). ...

CQPolitics noted "Harris’ former political strategist, Ed Rollins, spoke on the record about the dinner and detailed a meal that cost $2,800, far in excess of the $50 limit on gifts that members of Congress are allowed to accept" at the Washington restaurant Citronelle.^[22] Wade and Harris discussed MZM's desire for a $10 million appropriation, and Wade offered to host a fundraiser for Harris' 2006 Senate campaign. Regarding the MZM contributions, the Sentinel article goes on to say "The Justice Department has said Wade, who personally handed many of the checks to Harris, did not tell Harris the contributions were illegal". Regarding the expensive meal, the article quotes Harris as saying that she personally had only a "beverage and appetizer" worth less than "$100". House rules prohibit accepting any gift worth $50 or more. Ed Rollins is an experienced Republican campaign consultant and advisor. ... Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, Washington, D.C. For animal rights group, see Justice Department (JD) The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the...

Rollins said that he had conducted a thorough internal investigation into Harris' ties to MZM in hopes of finding conclusive proof of her innocence; but when he could not, he and other advisers, including her lawyer, urged her to drop her candidacy rather than risk federal corruption charges. Although he did not believe Harris intentionally broke any laws, "her story kept changing. Our great concern was that you get into trouble when you don't tell the same story twice ... Maybe you don't think you did anything wrong, but then maybe you start getting questioned about it and so forth, and you may perjure yourself. ... Unlike Cunningham, I don't think she set out to violate the law, but I think she was very careless. She heard whatever she wanted to hear, but we could find no evidence whatsoever that this was a project going into her district."^[23]

Although Rollins recalled discussing the $2,800 meal with Harris, Harris told the Orlando Sentinel on April 19, 2006, that the cost of the meal was "news to me", and that her campaign had since "reimbursed" the restaurant for the cost of the meal. According to the reporter, when questioned as to why she would reimburse the restaurant for a meal that had been paid for by MZM, Harris abruptly terminated the interview, and her spokesman later called and requested unsuccessfully that the story not be printed. The next day, Harris' campaign issued a statement that she had believed that her campaign had reimbursed the restaurant, and that she had donated $100 "which will more than adequately compensate for the cost of my beverage and appetizer" to Global Dominion Impact Ministries, whose website details its founder's "inspiring testimony of her deliverance from being sold to devils as an infant. She also shares her miraculous healing from her breast cancer as well as being raised from the dead."^[24] Harris also asserted that most of the cost of the meal was from Wade ordering several unopened bottles of wine to take home, although the management of the restaurant denies ever allowing anyone to take unopened bottles of wine off the premises, saying "Why would we jeopardize our liquor license for the sake of selling a couple bottles of wine?"^[25] The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the weeks following the expensive meal, former senior Harris staffers claimed that "they initially rejected a defense contractor's $10 million appropriation request last year but reversed course after being instructed by Harris to approve it."^[26]

In May 2006, Harris' campaign spokesman Christopher Ingram acknowledged that she had also had a previous dinner with Wade in the same restaurant in March of 2004, when the $32,000 in illegal donations had been given to her campaign. Ingram told the press that he did not know how much that meal cost, but that a charitable donation of an unknown amount had been given to a charity whose name he did not know, equivalent to her share of the meal. "She takes responsibility for the oversight that there was no reimbursement," he said.^[27]

Mona Tate Yost, an aide to Harris, left to work for MZM during the time Wade was pressing Harris to secure federal funding (April or May of 2005).^[28]

On July 17, 2006, Ed Rollins confirmed that Justice Department lawyers and FBI agents had recently questioned her about the $32,000 in donations. Rollins noted: "I assume more [interviews] will be coming, though. They were very serious."^[29] is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On September 7, 2006, Federal investigators questioned Jim Dornan, who quit as Harris's campaign manager the previous November.^[30] is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

2006 Senate race

Main article: Florida United States Senate election, 2006

The Florida Senate election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. ...

Overview

On June 7, 2005, with support from her new campaign advisors of Ed Rollins, Ed Goeas and Jim Dornan, Harris announced her candidacy for the 2006 Florida United States Senate election, challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Both lackluster fundraising relative to Nelson and controversy over campaign contributions from MZM caused Harris to fall far behind in all polls by May 2006. Late in the primary race, Republican contender Will McBride polled only 31 points behind Nelson in a hypothetical election against him, while Harris polled 33 points behind Nelson in the same poll. However, Harris showed she was still popular among Republican voters by winning the September 5 primary over McBride and two other challengers with approximately 50% of the total vote.^[31] Will McBride (born August 15, 1972 in Tampa, Florida) is a lawyer and a candidate for the 2006 Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Florida. ...

Despite Harris' support of many Republican causes and her previous statewide victories, some party leaders expressed doubt about her statewide appeal:

• In May 2006, Florida Governor Jeb Bush questioned Harris's ability to win the general election and encouraged others to challenge her in the primary.^[32][33]

• Karl Rove expressed doubts about her statewide appeal.

• National Republicans openly criticized her campaign and tried to convince other GOP candidates to challenge Harris in the primary.^[34]

• Florida state House of Representatives Speaker Allan Bense declined the candidacy on May 11 despite public courting by many leaders including Governor Bush.

• Conservative pundit and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough was also unsuccessfully recruited to enter the race. Departing Harris aides claim that Harris called potential Scarborough supporters and raised the death of an aide in order to prevent his entry into the race.^[35] Scarborough later told Nelson that drawing Harris as an opponent in the race made him "the luckiest man in Washington".^[36][37]

Nelson defeated Harris by over one million votes; Harris polled less than 39% of the vote. For other uses, see May (disambiguation). ... John Ellis Jeb Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician, and was the 43rd Governor of Florida. ... Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush until his resignation on 31 August 2007. ... Allan G. Bense (born October 6, 1951), a Republican, has been the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives since 2004. ... For the artist of the same, see Joe Scarborough (artist) Charles Joseph Joe Scarborough (born April 9, 1963) is the host of the program Morning Joe and former host of Scarborough Country on MSNBC and served in the United States House of Representatives, from 1995 to 2001, as a Republican...

Campaign troubles

By late July 2006, she had gone through three campaign managers and her campaign was floundering. At that time, it was disclosed that state Republican Party leaders had told Harris they would not support her because she could not win in the general election.

Financial Difficulties

Financial problems plagued her Senate campaign from the start. During the primary, it was clear that the incumbent Senator Nelson had a substantial financial advantage.

On the March 15, 2006 edition of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, Harris pledged to spend $10 million of her own money, which she said was all of her inheritance, on her campaign. She also stated that her run is dedicated to the memory of her father.^[38] is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fox News redirects here. ... FNCs Studio D for Your World and Hannity & Colmes the production area of Hannity & Colmes Hannity & Colmes is an American television program on the Fox News Channel featuring host Sean Hannity,[3] who presents a conservative, or Right-wing angle, and Alan Colmes,[4] who presents a liberal, or...

Despite her promise, the $10 million never materialized. Reports surfaced that Harris would not actually receive the inheritance from her father, who instead left his entire estate to her mother. She donated $3 million to her campaign, but later took back $100,000, fueling speculation that she would be unable to donate the promised amount.^[39]

In October, Harris announced that she was trying to sell her house in Washington to raise money for her campaign,^[40] but the home was not publicly listed for sale and no sale was ever announced.

Staff resignations

In late February 2006, in the midst of revelations surrounding Mitchell Wade's illegal contributions, Harris' campaign finance director and campaign treasurer both resigned.^[41]

On April 1, 2006 Harris' top campaign advisor, pollster and campaign manager all resigned with a half-dozen other staffers. Republican pollster and consultant David Johnson said, "I've never seen staffers go like this. It's just imploding."^{[citation needed]} is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In early April 2006, Harris told the Tampa Tribune that some of her ex-campaign staffers and the national Republican party were deliberately sabotaging her campaign by "putting knives in her back" and had warned her that if she did not back out of the campaign, she would get an "April surprise".^{[42][dead link]} Former campaign staffer Ed Rollins said "They were all good professionals...There was no backstabbing. It's insulting that she would even say that. If she wants to know what went wrong with the campaign, maybe she needs to take a good look in the mirror."^[43]

In June, the Harris campaign received a legal bill for thousands of dollars that contained a reference to "DOJ subpoena". Later, an ex-aide told the Associated Press that Harris had received a grand jury subpoena from federal investigators, but kept it from her top advisers, prompting several staff members to quit when they found out.^[44]

On June 8, 2006, Harris' fourth chief of staff, Fred Asbell, left in order to pursue a "business opportunity". Asbell said he'd "greatly enjoyed" his time with the campaign and he would remain in a consultant position.^[45] is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On July 13, 2006, Harris' campaign manager Glenn Hodas, spokesman Chris Ingram, field director Pat Thomas, political director Brian Brooks and Deputy field director John K Byers all resigned from her campaign.^[46] Hodas cited Harris' "tantrums" and "increasingly erratic behavior" as his reasons for leaving.^[47] An anonymous campaign worker described Harris as "very difficult to work with. The more that we put her out there, the more she shot herself in the foot."^[48] is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In late August, Harris lost another key staffer, Rhyan Metzler, in the wake of a disastrous political rally at Orlando Executive Airport. Only 40 people showed up for the event, and Harris blamed the paltry turnout in part on a last-minute change in location. She claimed that a tree fell on the hangar that was originally scheduled to hold the rally, forcing her campaign to switch to another hangar. Airport officials, however, stated that no trees had fallen, and that the event in fact took place in the hangar that Harris' campaign had originally booked. Harris' campaign blamed Metzler for the comments Harris made after the rally.^[49]

On August 31, 2006, Harris was interviewed on the Hardball television show, where she responded to the criticisms from her former staffers with "We have their email traffic, we know what was behind all that, we know who's been paid and who isn't."^[50] is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hardball is a sports term used to distinguish baseball from its variant softball. ...

Lack of Republican support

The Pensacola News Journal suggested that Harris might withdraw from the Senate race after winning a primary victory, thereby allowing the Republicans to nominate another candidate, such as Tom Gallagher, to run against Bill Nelson.^[51] The Pensacola News Journal is a daily (seven day, mornings) newspaper serving the Pensacola, Florida area. ... Tom Gallagher is the Chief Financial Officer of the state of Florida and is currently a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Florida in the 2006 Florida gubernatorial election. ... For other people named Bill Nelson, see Bill Nelson (disambiguation). ...

In August, Katherine Harris touted political endorsements from fellow Republican lawmakers on her campaign web site. However, some of those cited claim that they never endorsed her. This conflict resulted in several Republican congressmen calling the Harris campaign to complain after the St. Petersburg Times notified them of the endorsements listed on Harris' Web site. A short time later, their names were removed without comment from Harris' Web site.^[52]

Of Harris' three primary opponents, only Will McBride endorsed her candidacy for the general election. In the first few days after the primary, a number of Republican nominees such as Charlie Crist and Tom Lee went on a statewide unity tour with Gov. Bush. Harris was not invited; Republicans said the tour was only for nominees to statewide offices. Harris claimed Bush would campaign with her sometime in the two months before the election, but the governor's office denied this.^[53] Charles Joseph Charlie Crist, Jr. ...

President Bush did not make public appearances or private meetings with Harris before the primary. He did, however, appear with her at a fundraiser on September 21 in Tampa. is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

All 22 of Florida's daily newspapers endorsed Nelson.

Controversy over religion

Harris was a headline speaker at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church's "Reclaiming America for Christ" conference held in Ft. Lauderdale on March 17–18, 2006. The conference web site invited attendees to attend in order to "reclaim this nation for Christ."^[54] The stated mission of ReclaimAmerica.org is "To inform, equip, motivate, and support Christians; enabling them to defend and implement the Biblical principles on which our country was founded."^[55] As part of her speech, Harris urged conferees to "win back America for God." Her appearance was noted in a Rolling Stone article covering the conference.^[56] This article is about the magazine. ...

In an interview with the Florida Baptist Witness on August 24, 2006, Harris called for Christians to vote on religious lines. She said, is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

“We have to have the faithful in government and over time, that lie we have been told, the separation of church and state, people have internalized, thinking that they needed to avoid politics and that is so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers. And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women and if people aren’t involved in helping godly men in getting elected then we’re going to have a nation of secular laws. That’s not what our founding fathers intended and that’s certainly isn’t what God intended. … we need to take back this country. … And if we don’t get involved as Christians then how could we possibly take this back? …If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you’re not electing Christians then in essence you are going to legislate sin. They can legislate sin. They can say that abortion is alright. They can vote to sustain gay marriage. And that will take western civilization, indeed other nations because people look to our country as one nation as under God and whenever we legislate sin and we say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they don’t know better, we are leading them astray and it’s wrong.”^[5] Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ...

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said she was "disgusted" by the comments "and deeply disappointed in Representative Harris personally,” adding "clearly shows that she does not deserve to be a representative."^[57] Two of Harris’ primary opponents denounced her statements, Republican Will McBride (an attorney and son of a pastor) stated “I’m a Christian, and I’m a Republican, and I don’t share her views. There are people of other faiths and backgrounds of outstanding integrity who know how to tell the truth.” Developer Bill Monroe, another GOP primary opponent called on her to quit the race and resign from Congress. He called her suggestion that non-Christian voters are ignorant of morality when voting as “contemptible, arrogant and wicked.”^[58] On August 26, 2006 Harris' campaign released a "Statement of Clarification", that stated, “In the interview, Harris was speaking to a Christian audience, addressing a common misperception that people of faith should not be actively involved in government. Addressing this Christian publication, Harris provided a statement that explains her deep grounding in Judeo-Christian values."^[58] The press release went on to mention her past support of Israel and quoted her Jewish campaign manager Bryan Rudnick, who stated “As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, I know that she encourages people of all faiths to engage in government so that our country can continue to thrive on the principles set forth by our founding fathers, without malice towards anyone.”^[58] At an appearance at an Orlando gun show that same day, she said "it breaks my heart" to think people understood her comments as bigoted. When asked if she thought the Founding Fathers intended the nation to have secular laws she replied, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (born September 27, 1966) is a Florida Democrat elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004, representing Floridas 20th congressional district. ... A developer can be one of: A software developer, one who programs computers or designs the system to match the requirements of a systems analyst. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

“I think that our laws, I mean, I look at how the law originated, even from Moses, the Ten Commandments. And I don't believe, that uh…. That's how all of our laws originated in the United States, period. I think that's the basis of our rule of law."^[58]

On October 3, 2006 Harris participated in a prayer service via phone call and stirred even more controversy. In one instance, she called for the elimination of the separation of church and state when she said, is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Treat the pastors' hearts so that those who think there's no place for government, have them understand kingdom government, and how they need to be involved in the governance on this earth because God is our governance."

Harris then went on and called for Jews to be converted to Christianity.

“And Father God, right now on the day after the Jewish new year, Father, after the day after atonement, as they enter into their new year, Father God, I just pray that you would bring the hearts and minds of our Jewish brothers and sisters into alignment."^[59][60]

Replacements in the 13th Congressional District

Vern Buchanan was the Republican nominee and Christine Jennings the Democratic nominee to replace Harris in the 2006 election. The race had been ranked as "leaning Democratic" by CQ Politics, but Buchanan scored a very narrow victory, winning the election by a few hundred votes. Vernon Vern Buchanan (born May 8, 1951) is a Republican politician and an automobile dealer. ... Christine Jennings Christine Jennings (born November 26, 1945) is a banker and a Democratic politician. ... President Bush meets with Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (then House Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively) at the Oval Office in the White House. ... Congressional Quarterly (CQ) produces a number of publications that report primarily on the United States Congress. ...

Political positions and voting record

Harris is a conservative Republican. She is pro-life and has voted against abortion rights and stem cell research. She opposes oil-drilling in Florida's coastal waters. Harris supported reforming Social Security to include private accounts. She has voted in favor of granting legal status to unborn children via the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. She supports tax cuts and the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which restricts bankruptcy filings. Harris is also in favor of welfare reform, school vouchers, the Patriot Act, the Flag Desecration Amendment, the Federal Marriage Amendment, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[61] In a televised debate with Nelson on November 1, however, she repeatedly declined to say whether she would still support the Iraq War Resolution knowing that Iraq did not have the weapons of mass destruction attributed to it.^[62] American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... This article is about the social movement. ... Mouse embryonic stem cells. ... Signing ceremony at the White House, April 1, 2004. ... A tax cut is a reduction in the rate of tax charged by a government, for example on personal or corporate income. ... The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Pub. ... Welfare reform is the name for a policy change in countries with a state-administered social welfare system to reduce dependence on welfare, as demanded by political conservatives. ... An education voucher, commonly called a school voucher, is a certificate by which parents are given the ability to pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school to which they were assigned. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Flag Desecration Amendment, often referred to as the flag burning amendment, is a controversial proposed constitutional amendment to the United States Constitution that would allow the United States Congress to statutorily prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. ... The United States Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would define marriage in the United States as a union of one man and one woman. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Iraq Resolution and Iraq War Resolution are popular names for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public law 107-243, 116 Stat. ... For the Xzibit album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ...

Popular culture

Harris was portrayed by Laura Dern in the 2008 HBO film Recount, a docudrama based upon the 2000 Florida election recount. Laura Elizabeth Dern-Harper (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Florida Recount of 2000 was a period of vote re-counting that occurred following the unclear results of the 2000 US presidential election. ...

References