Former Colorado Sen Ben Nighthorse Campbell dies at 92, family says

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado died Tuesday at the age of 92, his family said.

His daughter, Shanan Campbell, announced that Campbell died of natural causes with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife, Linda, two children, Shanan and Colin, and four grandchildren.

Originally a Democrat, Campbell switched to the Republican Party in 1995 while serving in the U.S. Senate and held the seat from 1993 until retiring in 2005 for health reasons.

He served in the U.S. House and Colorado House before serving in the Senate.

JFK’S GRANDGRADUATE TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG DIES AT 35 AFTER A MAJOR-YEAR BATTLE WITH LEUKEMIA

The first Native American to serve in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, Campbell was known for her attire, which included cowboy boots, bolo ties and a ponytail, as well as her passionate advocacy for Native American issues.

He was a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and said his ancestors were among more than 150 Native Americans, mostly women, children and elderly men, killed by U.S. soldiers while camping under a flag of truce on Nov. 29, 1864. He helped sponsor legislation to turn the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Southern Colorado, where the killings took place, into a national park.

Campbell was also a strong supporter of children’s rights, organized labor, and fiscal conservatism.

A well-known jeweler, Campbell’s designs are exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.

“He was a master jeweler with a reputation far beyond Colorado’s borders. I will not forget his kindnesses. I will miss him greatly,” Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, said in X.

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Campbell’s day of service.

“He will be missed here in Colorado and across the country, and his contributions will leave a lasting legacy to our state and nation,” Polis said in a statement to X. he said.

Former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell died of natural causes while surrounded by his family. (AP)

Born April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California, Campbell also served in the Air Force during the Korean War.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in 1957. He also attended Meiji University in Tokyo from 1960 to 1964, captained the U.S. judo team at the 1964 Olympics and won a gold medal at the Pan American Games.

He also worked as a deputy sheriff in California’s Sacramento County, coached the U.S. national judo team, operated his own dojo in Sacramento, and taught high school classes.

Campbell was also a motorcycle rider and cattle rancher and was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

The former lawmaker has driven the Capitol Christmas Tree across the country to Washington, D.C., on several occasions.

“He was truly one of a kind, and I’m thinking of his family in the wake of his loss,” Democratic Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette said on X.

After retiring from public office, Campbell founded Ben Nighthorse Consultants, a lobbying firm focused on federal policy, including Native American affairs and natural resources. He also continued to design and manufacture Native American jewelry after leaving Congress.

MIKE CASTLE, DELAWARE’S LAST REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND CONGRESSMAN, DIES AT 86 YEARS OLD

Former Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell was the first Native American to serve in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. (AP)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Campbell said his principles never changed, even though he switched to the Republican Party in March 1995 after getting angry at Democrats for killing the balanced budget amendment in the Senate.

“It didn’t change me. I didn’t change my voting record. For example, as a Democrat, I had a very good voting record on labor. As a Republican, I still do. Also on minorities and women’s issues,” she once said.

Socially liberal and fiscally conservative, Campbell’s party switch angered Democratic leaders.

“I’m taking a lot of hits,” he said shortly after the transition. “I’m always willing to listen… but I don’t think you can be all things to all people, no matter what party you’re in.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.