Portland Legislative Candidate Darin Campbell Must Overcome a Checkered Past

His criminal history includes theft, indecent exposure convictions.

Darin Campbell brings two legacies to his race for a state legislative seat representing portions of Southwest Portland and east Washington County: strong family political connections and a criminal record.

Campbell entered the House District 27 Democratic primary early, filing for office on Sept. 10, 2015.

He was the first to declare his candidacy for the seat being vacated by five-term incumbent state Rep. Tobias Read (D-Beaverton), who is running for state treasurer. He's competing in the Democratic primary against Sheri Malstrom, a public health nurse making her first run for political office.

Politics is in Campbell's blood. His father, former state Rep. Larry Campbell (R-Eugene), led Republicans' return to control of the Oregon House in 1991 after nearly two decades of Democratic domination.

Larry Campbell's political career ended after his second term as House speaker in 1993. He then founded a powerful lobbying firm called the Victory Group with his two other sons, Kevin and Craig.

Darin Campbell, now 45, worked for the Legislature while his father was speaker. Darin Campbell also worked alongside his brothers on ballot measures, representing clients such as the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police in their opposition to medical marijuana in 1998.

He later became a driver and lobbyist for Radio Cab and has recently been active in the debate whether ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft should be allowed to operate in Portland.

His recent advocacy in the transportation arena and his experience around politics in Salem led him to jump into the 2016 race—and, he explained to his father, as a Democrat, not a Republican.

That wasn't the only difficult conversation Cambpell will have to have. He'll now have to walk voters through his troubled past.

The first mark on his record came in 1990, when Campbell, then 19, was serving as a police cadet in his hometown, Eugene.

He was convicted of two felony counts of theft after $3,100 worth of police equipment was found in his home.

Then in 1992, he was arrested and convicted again in Lane County, this time on a charge of public indecency, a misdemeanor.

He was convicted of public indecency again in Lane County in 1998 and then in Multnomah County in 1999.

In the latter case, which occurred when he was 29 years old, records show witnesses said Campbell wandered into an open outdoor area on Portland State University's campus and began masturbating. His conviction in Multnomah County came while he was still on probation for public indecency in Lane County.

For his three convictions and two probation violations, Campbell says he spent between four and six months in jail (the exact time is unclear from available records).

He says his convictions, along with a 1994 arrest for driving while intoxicated in Jackson County, were the result of years of drug and alcohol abuse.

Campbell says he doesn't recall the PSU incident.

"I don't remember anything about that," he says. "I'd been up for days using cocaine and crack."

Campbell attributes the theft in Eugene to youthful stupidity but says he has no explanation for the acts of public indecency.

"It was one of those weird things," he says.

His stints in jail and court-ordered rehabilitation, Campbell says, forced him to come to terms with his addictions. He says he's been clean and sober since Oct. 22, 2005.

Before entering the race, Campbell spoke to his father and brothers, all of whom warned him his past would become an issue if he ran.

"My family had reservations," Campbell says, "but my past makes me who I am today and a stronger person. People can see that good can come out of bad."

He says he's running to bring attention to shortcomings in Oregon's addiction treatment and mental health services. His perspective comes from his own struggles and from the experiences of his wife, Jennifer, who he says has long battled mental illness.

"Our system is completely broken," Campbell says.

His legal scrapes, rather than disqualifying him for office, give him credibility with many Oregonians, Campbell says.

"It makes me human and relatable," he adds. "So many people have drug and alcohol problems. So many families are broken by them."

Akin Blitz, a Portland lawyer and Campbell family friend, says voters would benefit from Darin Campbell's knowledge of the mental health system and the lessons he learned from his own struggles.

"If there's anybody who's learned and grown from his experiences and is well beyond them, it would be Darin," Blitz says. "I support him wholeheartedly. Darin's redemptive story more than extinguishes a blemish of youth and the unhappy product of an addiction conquered long ago."

Bill Lunch, a professor emeritus of political science at Oregon State University and commentator for Oregon Public Broadcasting, isn't so sure.

"It's probably true that his troubles reflect the experience of many American people," Lunch says. "On the other hand, most voters tend to expect a higher level of ethical conduct for the people who represent them."

Records show Campbell's struggles aren't over. In December, three months after he filed to run, Campbell declared bankruptcy. He says the bankruptcy filing came as a result of two issues: medical bills relating to his wife's mental illness, and his loss of income from driving a taxi.

"Uber just destroyed my business," he says.

Campbell says it's up to the voters of District 27 to decide who can best represent them, but he thinks there are strong reasons for them to look at the totality of who he is.

"Over the years, I've worked on transportation, law enforcement, land use and even marijuana," Campbell says. "I know the process, and I walk in the door with a lot of legislative experience."

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