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, according to his family.

Campbell died of natural causes surrounded by his family, his daughter Shanan Campbell said. He is survived by his wife Linda, their two children, Shanan and Colin, and four grandchildren.

Originally a Democrat, Campbell joined the Republican Party in 1995 while serving in the U.S. Senate, a seat he held from 1993 until his retirement in 2005 for health reasons.

Before serving in the Senate, he held positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Colorado House.

TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG, GRANDDAUGHTER OF JFK, DEAD AT 35 AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF BATTLE AGAINST LEUKEMIA

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado died Tuesday at the age of 92. (PA)

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

He was a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and said his ancestors were among the 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 promote 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, the labor movement, and fiscal conservatism.

A renowned master jeweler, Campbell displays his designs 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 acts of kindness. He will be greatly missed,” Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper said on X.

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

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

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

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

He received 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.

Additionally, he worked as a deputy sheriff in Sacramento County, California, coached the U.S. national judo team, operated his own dojo in Sacramento, and taught high school.

Campbell was also a motorcyclist and cattle rancher, and he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

The former lawmaker drove 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,” Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat, said on X.

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

MIKE CASTLE, DELAWARE’S LAST REPUBLIC AND CONGRESS GOVERNOR, DEAD AT 86

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

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Although he switched to the Republican Party in March 1995 after becoming angry with Democrats for rejecting a Senate amendment on balancing the budget, Campbell said his principles never changed.

“It hasn’t changed me. I haven’t changed my election results. Like, I did great as a Democrat on labor. I still do as a Republican. And on minorities and women’s issues,” he once said.

A social liberal and fiscal conservative, Campbell’s party switch outraged Democratic leaders.

“I’m struck by the extremes,” he said shortly after the change. “I’m always willing to listen…but I just don’t think you can be all things to all people, no matter what party you’re at.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.