User:Ceyockey/Tony Campbell

Tony Campbell is political science academic and aspirant American politician, aged 52 as of 2018, who has not yet successfully secured elected office. Campbell has also authored two books: "America Today" and "A More Perfect Union".

Early life and career
Born Antonio Wade Campbell, he is from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and came to Baltimore in 1986. Campbell has both a PhD and a Doctorate of Ministry from Liberty University of Virginia. Prior to coming to Baltimore, Campbell worked in Army intelligence, and as an Army chaplain, and he remains a member of the American Legion. In 1995, he was part of a group whose aim was to engage retired General Colin Powell as a candidate for President of the United States. In 1998, he ran as a Republican for the 7th District congressional district seat. He ran as a Republican for Baltimore City Council president in 1999. When not engaged in politics, Campbell was teaching music at religious schools in the late 1990s. In 2005, Campbell filed for divorce from his then wife, Lorraine Dahl Campbell, which was uncontested and resolved; at the time, Campbell resided in Towson, Maryland. By 2014, Campbell was teaching at Towson University as a political science professor, a post he still held in 2018. In 2014, he ran as a Republican in the election for County Executive of Baltimore County. Campbell also served as the Maryland state chairman for the 2016 presidential candidacy of Ben Carson. Campbell was also appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to the Maryland P-20 Leadership Council, a group focusing on preparing students for the workforce.

Campbell was involved in a minor scandal in 2011 as the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee Chairman. He said he would step down. He was repeatedly criticized for not being convincing enough as a chairman and was not considered an effective leader.

2018 United States Senate race
In 2018, Campbell won the Republican primary to contest Democratic incumbent Ben Cardin for a Maryland U.S. Senate seat in November 2018. A vehicle accident in May of 2018, an alleged hit-and-run which took place in a parking lot, served as a point of friction between Campbell and fellow Republican candidate, Christina Grigorian, who argued that this legal matter could damage the party's chances in the General Election. Of the four charges brought, all now closed, three were dismissed under nolle prosequi, while the fourth was handled under deferred adjudication. In relation to Grigorian's concerns, Campbell's driving license has been suspended twice, first in 1986 and a second time in 1991, both suspensions due to minor traffic violations where Campbell failed to appear at a hearing.

Political positions
In the context of the 2018 U.S. Senate race, Campbell has indicated he is a supporter of President Trump's agenda. Campbell has also said he supports a federal balanced-budget amendment, and supports several federal actions to support Western Maryland: block grants to the state for infrastructure projects, establishment of enterprise zones, exiting from school curriculum regulation; and healthcare reform for veterans.

Campbell has stated that he supports the removal of the Common Core Standards from the education system, claiming that they have stripped the rights of states in choosing how they education adolescents. One of his top concerns is said to be education, especially school security. He has said repeatedly that he has plans to promote more local education systems rather than relying on failed national systems.

In 2012, he led a referendum effort against partisan gerrymandering, particularly due to the gerrymandering situation in Maryland today. He also believes that immigration policy has a direct and significant impact on national security.