Tom Campbell (California politician)

Tom Campbell
Campbell in 2013
Dean of the Chapman University School of Law
In office
2011–2016
Preceded byJohn Eastman
Succeeded byMatthew Parlow
Director of the California Department of Finance
In office
December 1, 2004 – November 10, 2005
GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger
Preceded byDonna Arduin
Succeeded byMichael Genest
Dean of the Haas School of Business
In office
2002–2008
Preceded byLaura Tyson
Succeeded byRichard Lyons
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
December 12, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded byNorman Mineta
Succeeded byMike Honda
Constituency15th district
In office
January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993
Preceded byErnie Konnyu
Succeeded byAnna Eshoo (redistricted)
Constituency12th district
Member of the California Senate
from the 11th district
In office
November 11, 1993 – December 12, 1995
Preceded byBecky Morgan
Succeeded byByron Sher
Personal details
BornThomas John Campbell
(1952-08-14) August 14, 1952
PartyRepublican (1980–2016)
Independent (2016–2019)
Common Sense (2019–present)
Spouse
Susanne Martin
(m. 1978)
RelativesWilliam Joseph Campbell (father)
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BA, MA, PhD)
Harvard University (JD)

Thomas John Campbell (born August 14, 1952) is an American academic, educator, and politician. He represented parts of Silicon Valley, California in the United States House of Representatives for five terms from 1989 to 1993 and 1995 to 2001. He is currently a professor of law and a professor of economics at Chapman University. He has also been a professor at Stanford Law School and the University of California, Berkeley, dean of Chapman University School of Law, and dean of Haas School of Business. He also served one term in the California State Senate from 1993 to 1995.

As a politician, Campbell was a moderate or libertarian member of the Republican Party. Campbell ran unsuccessfully three times for the United States Senate. In 1992, he retired from the House to run and narrowly lost the Republican primary to Bruce Herschensohn; Herschensohn lost the general election to Barbara Boxer. In 2000, he retired again and won the Republican primary but lost decisively in the general election to Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein. In 2010, he withdrew his campaign for Governor of California to run again for the seat held by Boxer but lost the Republican primary to Carly Fiorina. In 2016, he announced that he would leave the Republican Party over his opposition to presidential nominee Donald Trump, and in 2019, he founded the Common Sense Party of California.