Katherine Harris (born April 5 1957), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 13th District of Florida. She was born in Key West, Florida, was educated at the University of Madrid in Spain, Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia and at Harvard University, and was a real estate broker, a member of the Florida Senate and Florida Secretary of State (1999-2002) before entering the House.
While she was Secretary of State, Harris presided over the contested Presidential election of 2000. It was Harris who certified that the Republican candidate, George W. Bush, had carried the State of Florida, thus giving him the election over Al Gore. Her ruling was challenged but was upheld in the Supreme Court of the United States.
Harris was been accused of acting in a partisan manner in conducting the Florida election count, but no allegations of misconduct have been proved. Her book, Center of the Storm, gives her version of events.
Harris is considering contesting the Republican nomination for the Florida Senate seat being left open in 2004 by the retirement of Democratic Senator Bob Graham. "My husband and I will seriously consider this and give it some thought," she said in November 2003. "Yes, we will. My whole family will."
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