The social worker and community organizer has been elected to represent the citizens of Broward County鈥檚 District 94 in the Florida House of Representatives. Campbell won the seat in a special election January 11 and will be serving out the remaining term of Representative Bobby Dubose, for whom Campbell once worked as an aide. This is his first elected appointment to public office.
Campbell鈥檚 latest accomplishment comes as no surprise for his 51仓库 School of Social Work friends and professors, who have admired his commitment to social service since he first arrived as a graduate student. While at Barry, Campbell was a three-time recipient of the Phyllis F. Scott Leadership and Advocacy Fund, the very scholarship that enabled him to travel to Washington, DC, and see firsthand how social workers can affect meaningful policy change. He followed that experience by attending the Congressional Research Institute of Social Work and Policy Political Bootcamp.
Campbell says that his ability to explore the intersection of social work and politics while at Barry broadened his perspective and helped him realize his potential impact on individuals, families, and communities. 鈥淭he lessons I received at Barry play such an integral part of my interactions with community members,鈥� he says, 鈥渢hat they leave walking away with a piece of Barry with them.鈥�
After graduating with his MSW in 2017, he joined the Broward County State Attorney鈥檚 Office as a victim advocate. In this role, he provided crisis intervention and counseling to crime victims and their families. He spent his spare time organizing for political candidates, advocating for voting rights, and building relationships with community members and their elected leaders.
Drawing on this wealth of experience with grassroots politics and social work, Campbell built his campaign on a message of community advancement through social policies. Healthcare, economic development, criminal justice reform, and affordable housing are just a few of the issues he hopes to address during his time in office. Ultimately, he says, he is 鈥渢rying to make a difference while holding God, family, and community at the center of my decisions.鈥�