Wiley P. Harris graduated from Transylvania College's law department and was admitted to the bar in 1840. He served as a Circuit judge before being elected as a U.S. Representative in the Thirty-third Congress. Harris was a key participant in Mississippi's secession movement and served in the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. After leaving the Confederate Congress, he returned to practicing law.

Wiley P. Harris's political identity is marked by his unwavering commitment to secessionist ideals, evident in his active role in the Mississippi state secession convention and his tenure in the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. His legislative record reveals a surprising alignment with opposing factions on environmental regulations, suggesting a highly localized approach to policymaking. Harris's rhetorical style is steeped in a rigid ideological stance, yet his policy positions sometimes diverge in unexpected ways, prompting deeper inquiry into his strategic motivations.