The race for the state Assembly

Alex Coolman

The shelves of John Campbell’s campaign office in the Irvine

Marketplace are lined with two kinds of books: some are profiles of

historical figures, and others are studies of businesses.

It’s a combination of reading that seems to fit the Republican

candidate for the 70th Assembly District, a man whose background is in

the private sector but who says he feels compelled to be involved with

public life.

“I almost feel an obligation to make that contribution,” Campbell

said.

Campbell works as a Saab dealer, a job that, he says, brings him into

constant contact with the concerns of everyday people. And this exposure

has made him worry about how out-of-touch Sacramento seems to be.

“I’ve seen so many things where the Legislature is not responsive to

where these people are,” he said. “I’m hoping I can bring my experience

to bear and help those people.”

Many of Campbell’s core issues are not radically different from those

of his rivals, but his approach to them is intended to stress a kind of

common sense practicality and moderate conservatism.

He shrugs off Democratic criticism of his stance on environmental

issues, emphatically emphasizing the importance of dealing with urban

runoff on a statewide level. And at the same time he stresses agendas,

such as income tax reform, that are likely to resonate with a

conservative constituency.

On a few points, Campbell also brings a decidedly private-sector

perspective to his platform.

He draws attention to the importance of Orange County’s high-tech

industry, and stresses the need for protecting businesses against

government intrusion.

“That’s driving our economy today,” Campbell. “So often in the past,

we’ve driven business out of the state by restraining them.”

He says it’s important for California to deal with high tech the right

way. “The standard should be that we give these industries as much

freedom as we can,” he said.

When Campbell talks about what he hopes to do in government, his

assessment is modest. He views his potential actions in the context of

the history books and keeps his rhetoric correspondingly low-key.

“At least,” he said, “I’ll make whatever little contribution I can.”