released to El Paso newspapers that “ undisclosed changes on the City Council agendas are as dangerous to the integrity of our city government as grading is to the integrity of our mountain wilderness . That surreptitious change abused every principle of open government that I am pledged to uphold .”

Harris was not opposed to preserving the mountain , but to undisclosed changes to the council agenda . The Northeast and Westside Civic associations decided to circulate recall petitions , but the groups disbanded their efforts because they felt that they were not going to get the required number of signatures by the deadline .

In 1979 Harris was running for reelection as the “ People Helper .” Harris was the only woman candidate running for City Council that year , and won a bitter race . She defeated eight men , avoiding a runoff for the central district . She was the first woman incumbent to be reelected . In her second term , Harris supported beautification efforts around the city , along with efforts to revitalize the downtown .

In 1980 Harris became the first woman to hold the position of mayor “ pro tem .” On February 19 , 1980 she presided over her first City Council meeting . She told the El Paso Times , “ The first day , Wednesday , I couldn ’ t believe it myself . I said , Hey ! This has never happened before .” On April 11 , 1980 , when Mayor Tom Westfall was on a trip to Japan , Harris again acted as mayor . She used her power as mayor to proclaim “ Visitor ’ s Day ,” inviting the public on a tour around the mayor ’ s and city representatives ’ offices .

In 1981 Harris was defeated by only 10 votes for reelection by Dennis Wagner , but came back in 1983 . She was elected in a Hispanic majority district , defeating three Hispanic men and winning 64 percent of the vote . After making this comeback , Harris was eying a run for mayor .

She wanted to be the first woman mayor of El Paso . Harris was the first woman with city council experience to run for mayor . She would be the first woman to seriously take on an incumbent .

Harris announced her candidacy for mayor at the El Paso Playhouse . “ This is a day I hoped for for the past 20 years . This is the day I worked toward for the past two years . You know you can count on my never-ending enthusiasm to see that El Paso moves forward in directions that you want to achieve .”

She also told the crowd at the Playhouse , “ You can count on my willingness to listen to your concerns and on my ability to understand that every important issue has two sides , and that I will always work to end controversy by intelligent

compromise ; statesmanship instead of politics as usual .”

According to the El Paso Herald Post she did not mention businessman and Mayor Jonathan Rogers by name . She thought the city was too business-oriented and wanted it to be more people-oriented . “ Being a good bookkeeper is always a good principle to run on , ( but ) it ’ s not enough . He ’ s a very good businessman , I just wish he didn ' t feel his was a dictatorial command of authority ,” she told the crowd at the Playhouse . The main part of the Harris campaign platform was to open up communication between the people and city hall .

There were those who tried to talk her out of the race , but she would say , “ I gots to try .” Supporters would point to Rogers ’ wealth and the power he wielded at City Hall , but Harris was never one to give up on an uphill battle . Harris had little money , but she did the best she could , running a spirited campaign .

Harris was proud to portray herself as an underdog . She lost support because many felt she could not win . She did get the support of the local women ' s political caucus and others , but Rogers led in contributions . She did not let the money issue bother her , telling the El Paso Times that it was enthusiasm , not money that was going to propel her campaign . “ I guess the one thing that motivated me all my life is the belief that I can move mountains . You can get anything done with a lot of vigor and vitality . That ’ s what it ’ s all about .”

Harris lost badly to Mayor Rogers , who had incumbency and money on his side . The 1985 city election did not attract a lot of attention from voters . There was light voting for an election scheduled during an Easter weekend . The political environment was just not right to defeat a powerful and influential incumbent . El Paso was not ready for a woman mayor , but Harris knew it would be eventually .

After her defeat some said it was her last hurrah , but she vowed to get back into the game , saying , “ You know me ; I keep running every time the city holds an election .” In 1986 , Harris ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the City Council . She was planning to run for mayor again in 1989 , when Rogers would be term-limited , but died before she could make another comeback .

On December 6 , 1987 , Harris died of a brain aneurism . The whole city mourned her . The funeral home was so overcrowded that an audio version of the service was offered at a nearby chapel . Most everybody agreed that El Paso was never going to be the same . �