William Alexander Harris (Virginia politician)

William Alexander Harris (1841-1909) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Virginia.

Born near Luray, Page County, Virginia, on August 20, 1841, Harris received private instruction and graduated from Columbian College (now George Washington University), Washington, D.C., in 1859.

During the Civil War, Harris served in the Confederate States Army, rising to the rank of captain in the 7th Virginia Cavalry. He was a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware following his capture in 1863.

After the war, Harris engaged in agricultural pursuits. He studied law but did not practice. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1877 to 1881.

Harris was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third Congress (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895), representing Virginia's 7th congressional district. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1894.

Following his term in Congress, Harris resumed agricultural pursuits. He died in Luray, Virginia, on July 20, 1909, and was interred in the family cemetery near Luray.