Congressman Harry E. Mitchell was elected on Nov. 7, 2006 by the people of Arizona's Fifth District to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a native Arizonan and former school teacher, Harry is a strong advocate for Arizona's families. He brings to Congress his commitment to honoring our veterans, practicing fiscal responsibility, securing the border, and investing in stem cell research.
Harry previously served as the Mayor of
Tempe, Arizona, where he led the efforts to revitalize Tempe's downtown area, including laying the foundation for the
Rio Salado Project and
Tempe Town Lake. As Mayor, he expanded mass transportation and created new jobs by building partnerships with businesses, community leaders and neighborhoods to foster smart economic development. To honor his success as Mayor, the City of Tempe
erected a 35-foot statue of Harry in downtown Tempe and renamed the city's government center the Harry E. Mitchell Government Complex.
After Harry's successful tenure as Mayor, he was elected to the Arizona State Senate, where he helped grow Arizona's economy and shape
Arizona State University into a world-class academic institution.
Harry taught American government and economics at
Tempe High School, the same high school he graduated from, for 28 years. He also served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, ASU.
Harry and his high school sweetheart Marianne, who taught at Scottsdale's
Coronado High School,
Tempe High School and Ahwatukee's
Mountain Pointe High School, have been married for 45 years, and have lived in the same house in Tempe for more than 40 years. They are the parents of two children and have five beautiful grandchildren, who all live in Tempe.
Arizona's Fifth Congressional District includes
Scottsdale,
Tempe,
Fountain Hills,
Ahwatukee,
Mesa,
Chandler, Rio Verde, the
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the
Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community.