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politics18h ago
Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell dies
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a longtime Colorado legislator and former U.S. senator, died at age 92 of natural causes.
- Campbell served in the Colorado state legislature, the U.S. House, and the Senate, later switching from Democrat to Republican in 1995.
- He chaired the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, becoming the first Native American to hold that post.
- Campbell helped push the Animas-La Plata water project to completion and supported tribal water settlements.
- Campbell’s legacy includes backing the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall.
- Campbell’s life included a career as a jewelry designer and roots in the Northern Cheyenne Nation.
- He lived on the Southern Ute Reservation with his wife Linda and remained active in public life after leaving Washington.
- Colleagues remembered Campbell as straightforward and honest and someone who bridged Democratic and Republican perspectives on Native issues.
- Campbell’s family confirmed his death and provided details about his passing and survivors.
- The Colorado Sun contributed reporting from staff writer Shannon Mullane on Campbell’s broader impact.
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