Winthrop Junior Runs for N.H. Office

Right now David B. Campbell '79-3 is just another Winthrop House junior. After Tuesday he hopes to be an elected official as well.

Campbell has been campaigning since June for one of the three seats in the New Hampshire state legislature that are up for election in his hometown of Newport.

A Democrat, Campbell has four opponents challenging him--two Republican incumbents, a two-time Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and a third Republican.

The 21-year-old Campbell first thought of running three years ago after seeing a friend from Yale elected to the legislature, but Campbell decided he was too young to run at that time.

"It would have been easier then," Campbell said last week, adding, "This year's competition is stiff."

To combat the competition, Campbell has taken to the streets with a door-to-door campaign strategy. Working with a $650 budget and a volunteer staff of 25 friends, he has also sent out 1300 letters and distributed bumperstickers.

"The current representatives are so inactive," Campbell said, adding that he thinks he has a good shot at winning a seat. "One has been in six years and the other four years, and they haven't introduced a single bill."

Cambell's campaign literature stresses that he will "try to stay informed and together with the people of the town actively represent Newport." In terms of issues, he opposes costly electical power company construction projects and "state programs which mandate local funding, unless the individual towns approve."

"The biggest issue, though, is that I'm young and a Harvard student," Campbell said. "Going to Harvard is an asset and a liability. People know you're ambitious and intelligent but are you too ambitious and intelligent?" he added.

"I think I've eliminated a lot of that by being so visible," Campbell continued.

In trying to stay so visible, Campbell has spent all but two weekends since registration in Newport, letting much of his schoolwork slide. Remaining optimistic despite the competition, he hopes to forget Harvard entirely this spring. His is counting on being in Concord, N.H. for the 1979 session of the New Hampshire State Legislature.