- Oregon State Representative, 1979-1995.
- Oregon Speaker of the House, 1991-1995.
About Speaker Campbell
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Larry Campbell moved to Portland as a child. He attended Lewis & Clark College where he first began interested in politics. He joined the Young Republicans, later becoming president of the college’s chapter. After graduating, he took a job with Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. He remained with the company for more than thirty years and eventually moved to Eugene. He served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1979 to 1995, representing Lane County.
In the interview, Campbell discusses in detail his first campaign effort in 1978, winning in a heavily Democratic district. He followed what he described as the “Bob Packwood Bible” of raising money and going door to door to meet constituents. Campbell, after he became Minority Leader in 1982, encouraged others in his party to emulate what he had done in his first campaign. He is largely credited with orchestrating the Republican takeover of the Oregon House in 1990. It was the party’s first majority in the House in nineteen years.
Campbell describes his leadership style, as Minority Leader and then as Speaker of the House. He also goes into detail regarding lobbying, including his own family business, the Victory Group.
– Interview recorded April 25, 2024