co_sen_CAMPBELL
SEN. BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL
Age: 65 Born: April 13, 1933 in Auburn, California Education: Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan, Special research student (1960-64); San Jose State University, BA (1957) Military: US Air Force, Airman, Second Class, Korea (1951-53) Family: Married - Linda, 2 children Hometown: Ignacio, CO Religion: No religious affiliation Career: U.S. Senator (1992-present);U.S. House of Representatives (1987-92); CO House of Representatives (1982-86); Rancher, Horse Trainer, Jewelry Designer. |
· First-term incumbent Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was first elected to the Senate as a Democrat. Blaming the Democrats for the defeat of the Balanced Budget Amendment, he switched to the Republican Party the day after the measure failed in the Senate by 1 vote.
· Campbell is the only Native American (Northern Cheyenne) member of the Senate. He did not, however, understand and assume his Indian heritage until he was an adult. His mother died when he was very young and his alcoholic father placed him in foster care.
· Today, Campbell takes on many Native American causes in the Senate. As a descendent of those who fought in the Battle of the Little Big Horn and Alex Black Horse, a great Northern Cheyenne leader, he helped erect a monument to commemorate the battle. Following his work, Campbell was given the name Nighthorse by the tribe.
· Campbell is a distinctive personality in Washington, DC and the Republican Party. He wears a signature bolo tie and pony tail. In parades, he either rides a motorcycle as he did at the Â'96 Republican Convention or on horseback in full Indian headdress.
· In 1964, he was on the U.S. Olympic Judo Team and carried the American flag at the Opening Ceremonies. He later used his judo skill to wrestle man who attacked a Capitol Police officer.
· Campbell succeeded retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Wirth in 1992. He defeated former CO Governor Dick Lamm in the Primary, then Republican entrepreneur Terry Considine, the founder of the national term limits campaign, by less than 131,000 votes in an election with more than 2 million ballots cast.
· In the House, he established a moderate record concentrating on economic rather than environmental issues. In the Senate, his record is more unpredictable. He was a key sponsor of Midnight Basketball and fought for additional child care funds in the Welfare Reform Bill, yet supported the flag burning amendment and the late-term abortion veto override.