By admin 
TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A Valley politician who served as mayor of Tempe for over 15 years has died, his son announced Wednesday.
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Harry Mitchell was Tempe mayor from 1978 to 1994, a state senator for several years following and a U.S. representative from 2007 to 2011. His son Mark announced his death this week.
“While we are grieving, we are filled with immense gratitude for the immeasurable joy our Dad brought into this world,” Mark Mitchell said. “He taught us how to live fully, love fiercely, and serve faithfully.”
The Democratic politician was a teacher at Tempe High School from 1964 to 1992.
Harry Mitchell’s funeral service arrangements have not been announced yet.
Several Democrats have offered their reaction to the news.
“There is no part of Tempe that has not been influenced by the legacy of The Honorable Harry Mitchell. During his 24 years on the Tempe City Council (16 of those as Mayor) he voted to build our iconic City Hall in Downtown Tempe. He was also a huge advocate for the Rio Salado Project, which eventually resulted in the creation of Tempe Town Lake.
He went on to represent our city in the Arizona State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Our City is truly grateful for the lifetime of leadership that he has left us.
The Honorable Harry Mitchell is a bonafide legend and was a true statesman in every way. He will be dearly missed by each and every one of us,” said Tempe Mayor Corey Woods.
Statement on the passing of Congressman Harry Mitchell pic.twitter.com/cNllYpcdNr
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— Arizona Secretary of State (@AZSecretary) July 30, 2026
Harry Mitchell was as Tempe as it gets.
Born and raised here, he graduated from Tempe High, attended Arizona State University, and returned to teach American Government at his alma mater for three decades, shaping generations of young minds along the way.
He gave decades of…
— Rep. Greg Stanton (@RepGregStanton) July 30, 2026
Arizona lost a giant today. Harry Mitchell was a Tempe High civics teacher, a mayor, a state senator, and a congressman—and through all of it, one of the kindest and most decent people in Arizona politics. He taught generations of us what public service is supposed to look like.…
— Kris Mayes (@krismayes) July 30, 2026
Arizona has lost a true statesman. Our caucus is deeply saddened by the passing of former Congressman Harry Mitchell. He served his community at all levels government: Congress, State Senate and longtime Mayor of his hometown of Tempe. But at heart he was a teacher and student of… pic.twitter.com/ZmNXGGyTJG
— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) July 30, 2026
Harry Mitchell devoted his life to serving Arizona: as a teacher, Tempe mayor, state senator, Arizona Democratic Party chair, and member of Congress. His integrity, decency, and unwavering commitment to public service left a lasting mark on our state and inspired generations of… pic.twitter.com/CEX7tRqC95
— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) July 30, 2026
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