Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Ben Nighthorse Campbell ( born April 13, 1933, Auburn, California ) is a former American politician, who represented the state of Colorado in both chambers of Congress. Campbell, who belongs to the people of the Cheyenne, according to Charles Curtis was the second Indian in the Senate of the United States.

Early years and personal career

Ben Campbell's mother Mary had immigrated at the age of six with her ​​mother from Portugal to the United States, where the family settled near Sacramento; there were also a large Portuguese community. Since she was already suffering from tuberculosis as a teenager, she had to often be treated in a local hospital. There she met during one of her stays Albert Campbell know: The man from the people of the Cheyenne suffered from alcoholism and completed a detoxification. They married in 1929; Four years later, her son Ben was born. He had an older sister named Alberta.

As the alcohol problems of the father continued, which meant that he often left his family for extended periods, and the mother was allowed to have only limited contact with their children because of their tuberculosis, spent Ben Campbell and his sister a big part of her youth in Catholic orphanages. After leaving high school in Auburn not finish, Campbell came in 1951 with the Air Force. He served during the Korean War in Asia and brought it up to Airman Second Class. Until his retirement in 1953 he received the Korean Service Medal and the Air Medal.

As a result, Campbell continued his education. In 1957, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University; thereafter he was offered the opportunity to study at Meiji University in Tokyo, where he remained from 1960 to 1964. Shortly before the end of his stay in the Japanese capital, he took part as there Judoka at the Summer Olympics. In the open class, he finished sixth.

After his return to the United States, Campbell operated as a jewel designer. After his first marriage had been divorced, he married in 1966 a teacher from Colorado. From this marriage two children were born; Campbell is also a four-time grandfather.

Political career

Politically operated Campbell for the first time in 1983. This year, he moved as a Democrat in the House of Representatives from Colorado, to which he belonged until 1986. After his victory over Republican incumbent Michael L. strand in the congressional elections of 1986, he was on January 3, 1987 Member of the House of Representatives of the United States, where he spent six years represented the third district of Colorado. He was reelected twice with more than 70 percent of the vote.

1992 Campbell competed successfully for the succession of not more candidates Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Wirth. He took his seat on January 3, 1993 and was the Democratic Senate faction until 3 March 1995. On this day he declared his move to the Republicans as their candidate, he was confirmed in the election of 1998 with a clear majority against the Democrat Dottie Lamm. From 1997 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2005, he chaired the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

In March 2004, Campbell stated that he would not apply for a third term. Instead, he signaled interest in the Office of the Governor of Colorado, but in the end he did not join the election of 2006, then won the Bill Knight of the Democrats. His Senate seat was on January 3, 2005 to the Democrats Ken Salazar. Ben Campbell has since retired from federal politics; but he still acts as one of 44 members of the Council of Chiefs (Council of Chiefs) of the Cheyenne people.