Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a staunch Republican

(CNN) -- Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, 43, a former real estate broker from Key West, Florida, is a staunch Republican who took time out from official duties last winter to campaign for GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush in New Hampshire, according to a report in the Washington Post.

Harris also serves as co-chairwoman of Bush's Florida campaign and was a delegate to last summer's GOP national convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She first took office January 1999 for a four-year term. Her position as secretary of state is due to be eliminated in January 2003 because of amendments to Florida's constitution.

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In 1994, Harris ran for and won a Sarasota seat in Florida's Senate.

Harris, reportedly worth $6 million, comes from a powerful and wealthy Florida family, according to the Washington Post. Her grandfather, cattle and citrus magnate Ben Hill Griffin, also served in Florida's legislature, the Post reported.

She holds a graduate degree in public administration from Harvard University. She received a fellowship to study in Geneva, Switzerland, and studied Spanish and art at the University of Madrid in Spain.

Harris and her husband, Anders Ebbeson, have a daughter, Louise.