Skip Campbell

Walter G. "Skip" Campbell (born November 12, 1948) was a member of the Florida Senate from Tamarac, Florida. He was the Democratic candidate for Florida Attorney General in 2006. Campbell is currently a candidate for the Florida Senate, hoping to unseat Republican Senator Jeff Atwater.

Background

Skip Campbell was born in Rockaway Beach, New York, an Irish neighborhood in the Rockaways of Queens County, New York. When Skip was twelve, his family moved to Florida.

A graduate of Broward County schools, Campbell earned his A.A. from St. John Vianney Seminary in 1968 and his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Florida in 1970 and 1973 respectively.

Following law school, Campbell began his career with a defense firm in Miami. He then joined with fellow attorney Jon Krupnick in Broward County. In 1975, they began the law firm of Krupnick & Campbell.

Campbell was board-certified as a civil trial lawyer by The Florida Bar Association in 1983. He is also a licensed helicopter pilot and a member of the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association. Campbell is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, the United States Supreme Court, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Academically, Skip has served as an adjunct professor of law at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center and has been a review editor for Matthew Bender Publishing Company. He has also hosted the popular television show "You and the Law."

During his career he has been a leader within the law profession. He has served as President of the Broward County Bar Association, President of the Broward County Trial Lawyers' Association, and President of the Federal Bar Association of Broward County. He an elected member of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar Association from 1988 through 1996, and was the recipient of The Florida Bar's Meritorious Service Award.

Campbell was also a Founding Fellow and member of the Board of Governors of the Southern Trial Lawyers, a Diplomat of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, a sustaining member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, a Founding Sponsor of the Civil Justice Foundation and a Founding Member of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.

In 1996, Campbell was elected to the Florida Senate, where he represents the western portions of central and northern Broward County. He has sponsored and supported numerous bills in the areas of crime fighting, education, consumer rights and safety, and the protection of the quality of health care. Campbell was reelected to the Senate in 2000 and 2004, and was elected Minority Whip in 1998. He currently serves on seven committees:

• Children and Families, Chair
• Government Efficiency Appropriations, Vice Chair
• Banking and Insurance
• Judiciary
• Rules and Calendar
• Ways and Means
• Select Committee on Medicaid Reform

Campbell remains active in the local community. He has served as local chairman of the Broward Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, as a board member for Kids in Distress, and on the Legal Advocates Committee of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. He has been actively involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation and the Emerald Society. Campbell has received numerous awards for his civic, professional, and legislative efforts including the Hope Award of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Distinguished Community Service Award of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League of Coral Springs/Parkland, the VALOR award from the American Diabetes Association, and the Outstanding Senator Award from the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.

Campbell and his wife, the former Lynn Satin of Miami Beach, Florida, live in Broward County. They have two children.

Campaign for Attorney General, 2006

In August 2005, Skip Campbell announced that he would run for Attorney General of Florida. Campbell was opposed by Broward County attorney Merrilee Ehrlich in the Democratic primary. Though some newspapers speculated that Ehrlich's candidacy was an orchestrated effort by Campbell to raise his name recognition and to improve his chances in a general election, he denied encouraging Ehrlich to run.^[1] On September 7, 2006, Campbell defeated Ehrlich to become the Democratic nominee for Attorney General.^[2]

In the general election, Skip Campbell squared off against former Congressman Bill McCollum, and Campbell ultimately lost to McCollum.

Electoral history

References

External links

• Campaign Website