Nelson Harris is a former mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...

; his term ended on July 1, 2008. A Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, he was elected mayor in 2004 with 37% of the vote in a competitive three way race against Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Alice Hincker and independent Delvis "Mac" McCadden. Harris had previously served on the school board and city council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radford University

Radford University

Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...

 and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Theological Seminary. Harris has done post-graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary

Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...

 and Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

. He teaches religion at Virginia Western Community College

Virginia Western Community College

Chartered in 1966, Virginia Western Community College is a two-year public college located on a 70 acre campus in the Franklin-Colonial neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is the third-largest college in the Virginia Community College System.-Students:In the fall 2006 semester,...

 in Roanoke. Harris has also written or compiled several books about the history of Roanoke and the surrounding area.

In Roanoke's May 2, 2006, municipal election, Harris and then vice mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick backed a successful slate of three Democrats, running on an independent

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

 ticket dubbed "For the City" against the nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties. The election ended the city's long running debate about the fate of Victory Stadium

Victory Stadium

- History :Victory Stadium was constructed in 1942. The name was meant to be a rallying cry for Allied victory in World War II. The stadium seated approximately 25,000, which made it the largest football stadium in Virginia when it opened, and regularly hosted games with large crowds during the...

 in favor of Harris' preference to replacing it with separate stadiums at Roanoke's two high schools. The local Democratic party considered sanctions against Harris for supporting the independent ticket but differences were smoothed out by 2008. Harris ran for re-election in the May 2008 municipal election but lost to former mayor and fellow Democrat David A. Bowers

David A. Bowers

David A. Bowers is the mayor of Roanoke, Virginia; his current term began on July 1, 2008. He previously served as mayor of the city from 1992 to 2000. A Democrat, he was elected mayor after serving on the city council. Bowers' service as mayor fulfilled a lifelong ambition for the Roanoke...

who ran as an independent; two other independents were also in the race: Anita Powell and George Sgouros.