Nelson Harris is the mayor of Roanoke, Virginia. A Democrat, he was elected mayor in 2004 with 37% of the vote in a competitive three way race. Harris had previously served on the school board and city council. Harris also serves as pastor of Virginia Heights Baptist Church in the Grandin Village neighborhood of southwest Roanoke. He recently completed a doctorate of ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. 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 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 in favor of Harris' preference to replacing it with separate stadiums at Roanoke's two high schools. The local Democratic party has considered sanctions against Harris for supporting the independent ticket.