THE SENATOR:
THE STORY OF
BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL
BY
JEFF BIGGERS
Smashwords Edition
Copyright
2011
William Gladden Foundation
ISBN #1-56456-306-5
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, lease purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:
Senator
CHAPTER TWO:
Finding A Home
CHAPTER THREE:
Hard Times
CHAPTER FOUR:
Breaking Away
CHAPTER FIVE:
Judo
CHAPTER SIX:
Native American
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Congress
VOCABULARY
REVIEW QUESTIONS
CHAPTER ONE:
SENATOR
He was clearly the underdog. Everyone was shocked at his decision to run for the open position of United States Senator in the first place. How could he possibly win? How could he beat candidates who were well known and had plenty of money? He was just a little known Representative from a rural district.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell had won battles that were even more difficult. Every election had been hard. No one ever thought he would have won the first time he was elected to the Congress several years before. Now his opportunity had come for the big race. It was his chance to represent not only his small rural district, but also all of Colorado as their Senator. Now was his time to become the first Native American senator in the United States in 60 years.
Everyone watched the TV as if it might explode. The whole state was excited about the outcome of the elections. The race had seen the candidates jump in front, fall behind, and then reach the finish line neck-and-neck. As the results trickled in from the cities and towns, everyone watched like hawks at the numbers as they were being posted.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell was more excited than the entire room of volunteers. His career as a politician and national leader was on the line. He had gambled his safe position as a United States representative in order to try for the senate seat, and he knew he was taking a huge risk. He was not scared to take the risk because he believed it was really a good opportunity.
His campaign had seen one disaster after another. After winning the nomination of his political party, surprising everyone, riding high with a 30-point lead in the polls, he suddenly saw his popularity fall. His opponent had a lot more money to spend on TV advertising and campaign workers. Campbell’s own staff had made a number of errors, hurting his reputation in the process. The televised debates between the candidates went poorly as well. Worst of all, Campbell’s wife, needing open-heart surgery, had been rushed to the hospital in the middle of the campaign.
Campbell’s early lead was reduced to nothing. The latest polls even showed him behind his opponent.
Now everyone waited. The returns flicked on the TV screen in an incredibly slow fashion, as if delaying the pain of defeat or the rush of victory.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell found a place to relax. All he could do now was quietly wait for the election results. He had done his best, going all around the state, telling the people his views and positions and listening to their ideas and needs. As a Native American, he had followed the sacred rituals taught to him by his Cheyenne people.