What happened to Tom Campbell?

OK, so I’ve “only” been following California politics (well, politics in general) for the last 8 years. That being said, I’m hoping that someone out there can help explain what happened to gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell.

If you look at his first couple of years in Congress, his voting record on the environment is impeccable – 100% in the national League of Conservation Voters’ Scorecards for 1989 and 1990. Most Democrats didn’t even come close to touching him! But as the years progress, his scores regress with an all-time low of 37% in 2000.

Campbell served in the House of Representatives in two stints – once representing the Peninsula/South Bay Area and later the Silicon Valley. At the beginning of his time with each of those districts, he started out with solid pro-environmental scores ranging from an A to a B. As his terms progressed in each district, his support for the environment plummeted.

So, what exactly happened to Tom Campbell? Here’s a Republican that at one time understood that environmental issues really are non-partisan. Yet, somewhere along the line, he sided more and more with polluting interests.

Should we expect similar from Campbell as the governor of California? If he’s successful in his bid for governor, will he start off on a strong foot and then have us watch as his support dries up when we need it most?

(This post originally published to www.GreenGov2010.org on November 13, 2009).