Mitch Harper

Mitchell V. Harper
City Councilman, Fort Wayne, Indiana
In office 2008 to 2016
Preceded by	Tom Hayhurst
Personal details
Born	1956 Fort Wayne, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Dawn Wilson
Residence	Fort Wayne, Indiana
Religion	United Methodist
Website	http://mitchharper.com

Mitchell V. "Mitch" Harper is an American politician from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

He was elected as a Fort Wayne Common Council member from the 4th District on November 6, 2007. He was elected to a second term on November 8, 2011. He currently serves as President of the Common Council.^[1]

Harper served as a Representative in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1978 to 1990. At 22 years of age, Harper was the youngest member of the Indiana House. After 6 terms totaling 12 years in the legislature, Harper voluntarily left the body as a demonstration of his personal commitment to term limits.^[1] In 1992 he served as a presidential elector for Indiana. Harper, an attorney, edits the weblog Fort Wayne Observed.

He is a native of New Haven, Indiana and a life-long resident of Allen County.^[1] Harper grew up living above the family funeral business founded by his great-grandfather, Edward, in 1889. His great-great grandfather, William Harper, was a pioneer settler in Allen County, Indiana. William Harper had immigrated to the United States from County Tyrone, Ireland.

Mitch Harper is a graduate of Indiana University and the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis. He was selected by the Council of State Governments as a Toll Fellow in the first year of that program.

He has taught as an adjunct instructor in the Keith Busse School of Business at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne.

2007 and 2011 Common Council campaigns

Mitch Harper was the 2007 Republican nominee for the Fourth District Fort Wayne Common Council seat. Harper handily won the seat in the fall election with a nearly 60% margin. Harper succeeded Tom Hayhurst, a Democrat who did not seek re-election.

Mitch Harper won renomination as the Republican candidate for the Fourth District Common Council seat in the May 3, 2011 primary election. He was unopposed for renomination. He won re-election with 64% of the vote on November 8, 2011. Harper pledged in 2007 to run a positive campaign. In the 2011 campaign he created a humorous video regarding negative campaigning called "The Silly Season" that may be found on the Vimeo and YouTube video hosting services.

The Fourth District is on the west side of the City of Fort Wayne and comprises Waynedale and much of Aboite Township.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/mitch-harper-%11-4th-district.html

External links

• Official Fort Wayne Common Council page
• Mitch Harper for City Council campaign website
• "Silly Season" Harper video
• Fort Wayne Observed
• Tracy Warner Journal Gazette editorial column - "Harper's Leadership on Council Emerging"

Persondata
Name	Harper, Mitchell
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	1956
Place of birth	Fort Wayne, Indiana
Date of death
Place of death