In His Own Words: Rep. Tom Campbell, DC Lori Bielinski, LMP, WSCA Executive Director & Government Relations Director This session, the aggressive nature of our opposition increased to an all-new level. Mean was the theme, and, interestingly, a great number of people and organizations opposing chiropractic were not even affected by the bill proposed by the WSCA.

Success didn’t come easy, and special appreciation should be given to many people who you may have already assumed were involved, and also to some who you may not have thought of. While it goes without saying that Rep. Tom Campbell, DC, deserves a great deal of our gratitude and respect, those sentiments alone will not ensure his re-election. Your gratitude and respect feed the soul, but, unfortunately, not the campaign fund. Committed support comes in the form of political contributions, and, if you live in his district, your vote as well.

Keeping Representative Campbell in office is crucial to our ability to obtain the positive outcome in legislation that we seek on behalf of the profession. Without Tom, our resources in terms of information and insight change dramatically and the work required of us would increase ten-fold. Without Tom, our successes would be extremely limited.

Since there are so many new chiropractors in Washington State, I decided to interview Rep. Campbell to help you get to know him and to understand why he deserves your support.

Lori: Tom, why did you run for office?
Tom: Looking back, I joke by saying "momentary insanity." To me, personally, it sure does seem crazy. Truly, I ran because of the poor shape the profession was in before our three PACs merged into one. That is the point when I decided to run. Three organizations were collectively weak. We had lost a great deal over the years, but forming one powerful PAC created an opportunity to accelerate our political program. We became one of the largest PACs in the state shortly thereafter.

I decided that the profession needed a voice within the Legislature. I suspected that what "they" were telling us outside in the halls was not exactly what was going on in the caucuses, and it proved to be true.

Lori: How long have you been in office?
Tom: Basically, I have been in the legislature for the past 14 years. I first ran in 1992, and am still currently serving. I took a one-term break from 1997-1998 when I ran for the Senate.

Lori: What does it cost to run a campaign?
Tom: As much as it takes to win! For some races it is very little, but for others, the cost is much higher. I always assume the cost will be high, and that is one of the strengths of my campaign. Typically, my campaigns cost approximately $120,000 for the two-year campaign cycle.

Lori: What are the necessary components of a campaign? Let’s start with printed materials . . .
Tom: Mailings are a minimum of $7,000 for printing, postage and administrative costs, and can sometimes cost as much as $11,000. In my first campaign (1992), I had to produce 18 pieces of mail in one campaign. The dollars required today would make such a mail program nearly unattainable. When the quality and backing of an opponent increases, it means I have to raise more money, and raise it early. That is how an incumbent holds their strong position over a challenger and discourages potential contributors from getting in the race for an opponent.

I have more paid staff than most campaigns, simply because volunteer hours are not as reliable. I need to make sure that critical things are done at the right time, and that requires paid staff.

Volunteers are extremely valuable and essential to a successful campaign, but they have jobs too. Like me, they need to earn a living! For a volunteer, the campaign cannot take precedence the way it does for paid staff. However, something that concerns me is that although people may expect that I will win an election, they may not necessarily believe that I need their help or their contributions. That is a luxury I cannot afford, so I need to raise money early and get my message out first. I must be prepared to meet unexpected opposition on a year-round basis. Campaigning is never over!

Lori: How about a campaign manager?
Tom: My wife, Lynn, typically serves as campaign manager, which helps with the emotional commitment and the quality of the product. I trust her eye for artwork, and together we devise the text and slogans. I relied on an outside firm only once, and I paid them a lot of money for nothing: I lost the race. Lynn is very good at looking at things from the right perspective to ensure that the campaign is successful.

Lori: I understand that the State regulates campaign activities. Why do they do that?
Tom: The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) was created by citizen initiative to assure clean campaign activities and to avoid fraud. As a result, we report all contributions, who they come from, how much is raised, and how those contributions are spent. If a candidate does not file the necessary reports with the state and the federal government, that candidate can be fined by the PDC. We are report-heavy and have many people watching how we report and how we spend all monies raised. It is cumbersome, but necessary; the public must be vigilant over their government.

Lori: How do you run your clinic while you are in office for several months each year?
Tom: There is no way that I can both run the clinic and work the legislative session. It is necessary for me to leave my clinic for the entire 105-day session during the long session, and for 60 days on the alternate year. I tried working late nights and weekends, but as a committee chair, I can no longer afford that luxury. I still squeeze in hours when I can, and patients know that they can call me at any time. When in session, I rely on Lynn to manage the clinic, and we look for a supportive doctor to come in and treat our patients. I have had several good doctors here to help over the years, such as Drs. Michael Mackinnon, Heather Bergfors, Jeff Kopp, and, most recently, Roger Baarstad.

I find it amusing and frustrating when people think that being a legislator is a part-time job. I have had to become extremely good at time management and being in more than one place at the same time. You have to get there and get the job done. It’s difficult, and when I’m gone we always see a drop in our business. It has taken many years of experience to help make this work as well as it does today. It is a rather bizarre life cycle, but we have adapted.

Lori: What kind of legislative duties do you have when the legislative session is completed for the year and people think you are "done?"
Tom: As a legislator, my job is never "done." I am perpetually working to create new bills to present each January in order to respond to issues raised by constituents. One recent issue is methamphetamine that is sold to look like candy specifically marketed to children. It is a tragedy and needs legislation to support law enforcement and protect our children, and it is an issue I am working on for the next legislative session. There are also the issues of inclusion, fairness and equality in healthcare, which are always on going jobs for me.

There is a lot of homework and energy that goes into each of the issues, and which sometimes requires travel. As chairman of the Environmental Health Committee, I have interim tours and work that need to be done before scheduling bills for hearings and in preparation for coordination with other committee activities.

In addition to all of that, as every legislator does, I have constituent work that has to be done every day! Not a single day goes by without multiple inquiries. They range from all levels of government, since people know that when you respond, they will call you first for all levels of government: city, county, state and even federal.

Lori: How do constituents get to know you?
Tom: Many ways: people who are passionate about the issues will come to the clinic for a face-to-face meeting, which is the most effective. There are town hall meetings throughout the district that cover a wide range of issues. I attend many meetings that are specific to problems such as transportation, education or crime. Then there is phone and email, which I respond to personally. It is well known in my district that I consistently respond to their inquiries. In terms of size, my district (the 2nd Legislative District) is the largest in western Washington, and I place a very high value on communication with the 140,000 people of my legislative district.

Lori: How can people help you?
Tom: You know when people love you when they send you the money. I am saying that with a smile, of course; but the truth is that no money contributed equals no campaign! A campaign runs on money. One plastic yard sign on the side of the road is about $15, and we purchase hundreds of them each campaign. We need money to get our name out, spread our message, and make things happen. Volunteers are valuable in making that happen as well—once the supplies are purchased. For those who are close by, preparing mailings and distributing flyers in the district is always helpful. We accept any and all help that can be offered, but it is obvious that money makes things happen, and any amount truly does help.

Few people understand that a campaign really does run all year long, except when the freeze is on by the PDC. It is critical that the administrative work continue at the time when the public does not always see the political work, but it is all for preparing for the final election every two years.

Lori: If the profession has a lobbyist, why is it important that you are in office too?
Tom: I think it is important that people know I am in office not just because I am a chiropractor, but because of a lot of issues. I take a stand on a myriad of issues, from transportation to the environment and others—not just healthcare.

One of the things my opponents point out is that I am a chiropractor and support chiropractic issues. How can it be otherwise? I am a chiropractor, and as such, I am the most knowledgeable person in the legislature to speak on what chiropractic is and what chiropractors do. In Olympia, I am the senior member of the Health Care Committee. I have the knowledge and the history to make things better for the people of Washington.

I am able to be the inside force for chiropractic and I don’t back down when chiropractic and our patients are treated in a negative way. My experience as a Captain in the Special Forces has prepared me for opposition. I believe that I am in the right place at the right time to be a strong advocate for chiropractic care.

The record has proven that I am effective. The Patient Bill of Rights was my bill and we made sure that patients have the rights they need in health insurance. I have worked on so many issues for chiropractic over the years that range from L & I inclusion to eliminating the M.D. gatekeeper to a number of other health insurance issues. Without a chiropractor in this position, our work is much harder.

Having a member of the profession in office as well as having a full-time lobbyist at the capital has been a very effective combination.

Before I ran for office, I was president of the BAC-PAC. We were becoming a great force in Olympia. After spending a lot of time observing the process, I decided that in order to make a true impact, I would have to run for office. My position has always been that I am going to do everything I can to make things better for constituents of my district and the state for every minute that I am in office. I have a unique opportunity to tell the chiropractic story and fight ignorance and deliberate distortion every day I am in the legislative arena.

It is also important to understand the difference between a legislator and lobbyist. I am not a lobbyist. I am there to evaluate other issues and advocate for my position—my responsibility is to the people of the second legislative district, not a single-issue group that a lobbyist works for.

A lobbyist is there for one issue, such as ours, chiropractic healthcare. A lobbyist has a message and represents a special interest, which, for chiropractic, is a good thing. You, Lori, have done a good job for our profession. As a legislator, I have to advocate for many different issues, and your presence allows me to do just that.

Lori: You first were elected as a Democrat, and then you ran as a Republican. While you are still a Republican, do you see yourself as a member of either party?
Tom: I am identified as a Republican and do not plan to change that. There are inherent weaknesses in strong party control—by either party. The tendency for political parties and leadership to attempt to control legislators is contrary to my sense of freedom and loyalty to my district constituents. I am not very skilled at being controlled. The political leadership attempts to sway legislators to vote in a way they would not otherwise vote, but I cannot do that. I work with members of both parties to do what I believe is right. It seems to be working for me. I am effective passing bills and delivering much-needed budget items for my district.

Lori: You work well with the current Democratic leadership. How did that come about?
Tom: It has been a matter of working relationships over a period of many years. There is a bond of trust that develops when you work with people in good faith and your word is known to be good. My wife created a business card for me that reads "Tom Campbell: for all the good things and against all the bad." I think that pretty much sums it up. I sleep well at night!

I am in a unique position with the Speaker of the House entrusting me with a committee chairmanship. It is highly unusual for a member of the minority party to be honored in this way. I have worked with many of these people for 14 years; we know each other well and have become partners on many issues to the betterment of our state.

Lori: While it might seem obvious, I want to ask anyway: Why should chiropractors in Washington support you?
Tom: The bottom line is dedication and performance. There has been no one in recent history able to do the things that I have done. I do not back away from any threat, and I will not be intimidated.

Chiropractors should support me because of what I have achieved. The "Every Category of Provider" was my amendment in the 1993 Health Care Reform Act. I have defended this every year since its passage. We are now embarking on another version of healthcare reform, and it is important that I be at the table.

I am proud to be a chiropractor; I never back away from my profession. I use every opportunity to tell the chiropractic story and confront those who would attempt to defame our great profession.

Author’s Note: This article is focused on Tom as a legislator. It cannot go without recognizing the time and energy invested in Tom’s campaign and clinic by Lynn Campbell as well. While there are unique opportunities, there are also sacrifices that are made over the years. Lynn spends countless hours on the campaign, managing the clinic with fill-in doctors, and making sure that the staff in the clinic have support also. Dr. Campbell’s patients are loyal during the legislative session largely in part because of Lynn.

Lynn, the WSCA members and staff appreciate your time, effort and commitment to the profession as well. We thank you very much.