Campbell’s death was confirmed Tuesday by his daughter, Shanan Campbell, who told The Associated Press that he died of natural causes and was surrounded by family. The former Colorado lawmaker was 92.
In Congress, Ben Nighthorse Campbell stood out not only for his outspoken advocacy on Native American issues, but also for a broader mix of positions that ranged from children’s rights and organized labor to fiscal conservatism, the Associated Press reported. He was also widely recognized for an unconventional style, including cowboy boots, bolo ties and a ponytail.
Campbell belonged to the Northern Cheyenne tribe, and he often spoke about the killing of Native Americans during the 1864 Sand Creek area conflict. He said his ancestors were among more than 150 Native Americans—mostly women, children and elderly men—killed by U.S. soldiers while camped under a flag of truce on Nov. 29, 1864.
After serving three terms in the House beginning in 1987, Campbell moved to the Senate for two terms, from 1993 to 2005. Among the accomplishments he was credited with, the AP said he helped sponsor legislation upgrading the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in southern Colorado to a national park.
State and federal colleagues marked his death. Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper said in a post on X that “He was a master jeweler with a reputation far beyond the boundaries of Colorado,” adding, “I will not forget his acts of kindness. He will be sorely missed.” Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette also posted on X that he was “truly one of a kind,” and said she was thinking of his family in the wake of his loss.
Campbell entered national politics as a Democrat, but his party switch in the 1990s helped define his legacy as a maverick. The AP reported that he joined the Republican Party in March 1995 after Democrats killed a balanced-budget amendment in the Senate, a move that outraged Democratic leaders and was described as a coup for the GOP.
Notwithstanding the switch, Campbell portrayed himself as consistent on issues. In the months after his change, he said, “I get hammered from the extremes,” and added that he was “always willing to listen … but I just don’t think you can be all things to all people, no matter which party you’re in.”
The AP reported that Campbell had been seen as a likely shoo-in for a third Senate term, but he stunned supporters by dropping out of the race in 2004 after a health scare. Campbell later said, “I thought it was a heart attack. It wasn’t,” and described deciding against another six years in politics while he was in the hospital, looking at doctors and thinking about time away from home and two children he said he had not gotten to see grow up.
After leaving politics, Campbell returned to the Native American jewelry work that made him wealthy, with pieces later displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, the AP reported. He also worked on a line of outdoor gear with a California-based company called Kiva Designs, and became a senior policy adviser with the Washington law firm Holland & Knight.
His career also included other public and policy work. The AP said Campbell founded Ben Nighthorse Consultants focused on federal policy, including Native American affairs and natural resources. He also drove the Capitol Christmas Tree across the country to Washington, D.C., on multiple occasions.
In earlier political life, Campbell described how he first found his path into public office. The AP reported that in 1982, while planning to deliver jewelry to California, he was grounded by bad weather and spent time in Durango before attending a county Democratic meeting where he ended up speaking for a friend running for sheriff—an episode he compared to being “hooked.”
Campbell later recalled challenging Don Whalen in the resulting political contest, describing Whalen as someone who “looked like he was out of a Brooks Brothers catalog” and saying he believed few expected him to win. He said he campaigned by going door to door, and he recounted a moment in Cortez in which a man confronted him over furniture, asking if he was from a repossession company, and Campbell replied that he was “just running for office,” which he said led to a conversation and a vote.
The AP also recounted Campbell’s earlier background before office. Born April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California, Campbell served in the Air Force in Korea from 1951 to 1953. He received a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in 1957, attended Meiji University in Tokyo from 1960 to 1964, was captain of the U.S. judo team in the 1964 Olympics, and won a gold medal in the Pan American Games.
The Associated Press reported that Campbell criticized then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt using harsh language, calling him a “forked-tongued snake” for opposing a water project near Ignacio, Colorado, that Campbell promoted as honoring the water rights of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes. Campbell also clashed with environmentalists on issues including mining law and grazing reforms, as well as setting aside land for national monuments.
Campbell’s later years included a controversy tied to allegations involving a former chief of staff. The AP said Campbell retired from politics, saying his decision had nothing to do with allegations that Ginnie Kontnik solicited kickbacks from another staffer and that Campbell’s office lobbied for a technology contract with ties to the senator. The AP reported that he referred both matters to the Senate Ethics Committee, and in 2007 Kontnik pleaded guilty to a federal charge of not reporting $2,000 in income.
Campbell said of that outcome, “I guess there was some disappointment,” according to the AP, and added, “But a lot of things happen in Washington that disappoint you. You just have to get over them because every day there’s a new crisis to deal with.”
This story has been corrected to remove a reference to a massacre occurring at Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The massacre that was referenced took place at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.