{"id":14186,"date":"2025-12-30T19:28:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T02:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ben-nighthorse-campbell-former-u-s-senator-and-jewelry-maker-dies-at-92\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T19:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:33:03","slug":"ben-nighthorse-campbell-former-u-s-senator-and-jewelry-maker-dies-at-92","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ben-nighthorse-campbell-former-u-s-senator-and-jewelry-maker-dies-at-92\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Nighthorse Campbell, former U.S. senator and jewelry maker, dies at 92"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Ben
Ben Nighthorse Campbell laughs while telling some stories about his jewelry in August 2011. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the U.S. senator from Ignacio who embraced a maverick personality, breaking stereotypes and ruffling a few feathers along the way, died about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at his home on a ranch outside of Ignacio. He was 92.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was surrounded by my mom \u2013 his wife of almost 60 years, Linda; myself; and his grandson, Luke Longfellow,\u201d said his daughter, Shanan Campbell. \u201cShortly before he passed, the elders of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe came over \u2013 Eddie Box Jr. \u2013 and sang songs and did blessings for dad, and he passed just moments after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shanan said her father died of \u201cnatural causes.\u201d He had undergone a few back surgeries in the past 15 years, which had been debilitating.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was tired and he was ready to move on,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n

Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a significant figure in Southwest Colorado and across the country. This article is being made available free of charge to all Herald readers.<\/div>\n

Campbell\u2019s fascinating and varied career began with a unique backstory. He was an Olympian and a noted jewelry artist. His Northern Cheyenne ancestry made him one of the few Native American legislators to serve in Congress. Bolo ties and a ponytail quickly distinguished the Harley-riding Campbell from colleagues, and his combativeness both won over and rankled those he met. Since 1978 he and his family have lived on a ranch near Ignacio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never let the chance go by (to talk) about the importance of running for public office for Indian people,\u201d he said in a 2021 interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cBenny\u201d Campbell was born April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California. His father was part Northern Cheyenne, and his mother was a native of Portugal. His parents were not always able to care for him, and during his childhood he spent time in an orphanage and foster homes.<\/p>\n

He left high school in 1951 to join the Air Force and serve in the Korean War, where he received several medals. He continued his education, earning a high school diploma and then a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957 from San Jose State in physical education and fine arts.<\/p>\n

Campbell competed in judo at San Jose State under a Japanese coach, and continued in the sport. He studied and trained in judo at a university in Tokyo from 1960-64, winning three U.S. national titles during that time.<\/p>\n

The judo training, he said in his biography \u201cBen Nighthorse Campbell: An American Warrior,\u201d was brutal. His nose was broken multiple times, he lost two teeth, and broke or dislocated nearly all of his fingers or toes at one point or another.<\/p>\n

He competed for and was captain of the 1964 U.S. Olympic judo team, led by his college coach, Yoshihiro Uchida. This was the debut of judo in the Olympics, which were held in Tokyo, the birthplace of the sport. In a match in the U.S. prior to the Olympics, he suffered a devastating knee injury. He managed to compete in the Tokyo Games and win his opening match, but his knee gave way in the second match and he was forced to forfeit. Still, he managed to carry the U.S. flag during closing ceremonies.<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda and Ben Nighthorse Campbell in an updated photo. (Courtesy photo)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Back in California, Campbell became a high school physical education and art teacher, as well as a Sacramento County deputy sheriff and U.S. judo team coach. In his spare time he combined his artistic talent with his Native American ancestry and study of Japanese culture to create multicultural works of art.<\/p>\n

Campbell married Linda Price in 1966. They raised quarter horses in the Sacramento area, and continued to do so after they purchased a ranch near Ignacio on the Southern Ute reservation in 1978. He managed Sky Ute Downs in Ignacio and was a part-time Fort Lewis College art instructor. In 1980 he was officially given the name \u201cNighthorse\u201d during a Northern Cheyenne ceremony at Lame Deer, Mont. He later became a member of the tribe\u2019s Council of 44 Chiefs.<\/p>\n

\"Gov.
Gov. John Hickenlooper pauses May 28, 2013, to speak with former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, left, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Chairman Gary Hayes before the dedication ceremony of the Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center. (Durango Herald file)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

He was drawn toward politics, and was elected in 1982 as District 59 representative to the Colorado Legislature. During his 1984 campaign Campbell received political blowback when he held a fundraising raffle with the winner getting to cut off his ponytail.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe the government is telling me when and how I can cut my hair,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n

After two terms as state representative, he won a seat in the U.S. House in 1986. Following three House terms, in 1992 he was elected as a U.S. senator.<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, delivers a parting statement to witness Michael Scanlon, president of Capitol Campaign Strategies, as he takes the fifth at an oversight hearing in Washington on Nov. 17, 2004. (Associated Press file)<\/span>dur-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

He stunned colleagues and constituents by shifting his affiliation from Democrat to Republican in March 1995, during President Bill Clinton\u2019s first term. His reasoning was a lack of support from the state Democratic party, particularly the liberal wing. Attorney friend Sam Maynes, a longtime Durango Democrat, was disappointed with the state party leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Democratic party has not responded to his leadership,\u201d Maynes said.<\/p>\n

Said Campbell: \u201cThe majority of the people who voted for me voted for me because I am who I am, not because I was a Democrat or a Republican. The biggest constituency in Colorado is the unaffiliated voters.\u201d<\/p>\n

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