Biography:

Mark E. Souder (pronounced SOW-der) was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., and resides there. Souder is a 1968 graduate of Leo High School just west of Grabill, Ind. Souder earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Indiana University-Purdue at Fort Wayne in 1972. He also served as student body president.

He also received a master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1974. He worked briefly as a management trainee in St. Louis for Crossroads Furniture, before joining Gabberts Furniture in Minneapolis.

Souder moved back home to work for the family business in 1976 in rural Grabill.

He was first inspired to enter politics at age 14 when he heard Ronald Reagan give a speech for Barry Goldwater in 1964. Souder went to work for then-U.S. Rep. Dan Coats in 1983 as his economic development liaison. Coats hired Souder the following year as the Republican staff director of the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families.

Coats moved to the Senate to fill the seat vacated when Dan Quayle became vice president after the 1988 election, and Souder was selected legislative director and later became Coats' deputy chief of staff. He left Coats' staff in 1993, moving back to the Fort Wayne area.

He was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994. Souder's great-great-grandfather was among Allen County's first Amish settlers in 1846, and his great-grandfather and grandfather founded Souder's of Grabill, a harness shop, in 1907. The store expanded into several other businesses, including Historic Souder's of Grabill, a 30,000-square-foot complex including Our Country Home Inc., a manufacturer of store fixtures.

Souder and his wife, Diane, have three children.

Past Campaigns:

Mark Souder defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Jill Long with 55 percent of the vote in his first bid for a seat in Congress in 1994. He was re-elected in 1996 with 59 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Gerald Houseman.

In 1998, Souder defeated Democrat Mark Wehrle with 63 percent of the vote. In 2000, he was re-elected with 62 percent of the vote.

He won the Republican primary in the newly redrawn 3rd district in 2002, spending nearly $400,000 _ more than twice than challenger Paul Helmke, a former three-term mayor in Fort Wayne. Souder got 60 percent of the vote to 37 percent for Helmke.

He was re-elected in the 2002 general election, winning 63 percent of the vote against Democrat Jay Rigdon.

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