HISPANIC HOPE
A real Republican by the name of James Campos is mulling a run for Assembly District 4
BY GEORGE HARRIS

On last December’s “Hot & Not List,” Liberty Watch managed to spotlight several young Republicans and political candidates who looked promising and full of potential for this next election cycle. But a recent appointment by Gov. Jim Gibbons had us smacking our foreheads and saying, “D’oh!” We completely forgot about newcomer James Campos.

On Jan. 30, Gibbons appointed Campos, 34, to the position of Commissioner of the Nevada Consumer Affairs Division. Campos’ duties include ensuring that Nevada continues to attract new businesses each year while providing oversight and regulation to protect consumers from fraud and abuse. He’s got the kind of dynamic background that suggests he will easily succeed at the task at hand. With experience in both the public and private sectors, he has excelled in a variety of arenas: publishing, communications, business consulting, political campaigns and as a college professor. 

Then there’s www.fightfraud.nv.gov. Campos was integrally involved in establishing this site, which assists Nevadans who have been affected by fraud. It offers links to various state and national agencies, and allows visitors to select from six categories (automotive, financial, Internet, household, real estate and miscellaneous) to obtain general information or file a complaint. A site this comprehensive reinforces, at least to us at Liberty Watch, that Campos’ commitment to Nevadans is in the proper place.

Campos has accomplished three times as much as most people his age. In 2006, he was named Professional of the Year by the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce. He’s also been recognized by the White House as a national Hispanic leader. And there are his myriad degrees: He holds Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Maryland; a Master of Business Administration from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; and a post-graduate business certificate from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has taught organizational operations, international management, marketing, strategy, public relations and human resources at the University of Phoenix and at the College of Southern Nevada.

Campos is considered congressional material by many political insiders, including Hispanic leaders like Tony Alamo, Tony Sanchez and famous boxing referee Joe Cortez. Community leaders such as Sig Rogich and insiders at the governor’s office believe that Campos has the personality and charisma to bring Hispanics into the Republican Party. He currently resides in Assembly District 4 and is very much considering a run.

Not that Campos is likely in any hurry to leave his new position working on behalf of Nevada consumers. But it’s hard to ignore the fact that a shining star like Campos could really benefit Assembly District 4 in light of his principled conservatism. Campos, too, understands how important it is to have a rock-solid Republican in a district the size of his. Summerlin is an area that is certainly red, and having a Democrat in Republican clothing does the people there a serious disservice.

There are some pooh-poohers out there who suggest that Campos’ new appointment was a way for Gibbons to conveniently out the lone Hispanic voice from his cabinet. But it was Amanda Penn, Spokeswoman for the Department of Business & Industry, who put everything in its proper perspective when the Review-Journal asked her about it: “The southern director is basically just an office manager,” she told reporter Molly Ball. “Not only is he making more money now, but as commissioner he has full power of the pen. He can control your ability to do business in the state of Nevada; and once he renders a decision on a regulatory action, you have no appeal rights within the system. You have to go to court.”

If Gibbons were really trying to purge the Hispanic presence from the governor’s mansion, why would he give Campos such a powerful position? If anything, Gibbons did more for the Hispanic presence in Nevada by making Campos one of the most commanding public officials in the entire state.

If anyone needs to be purged from Nevada, it’s those false Republicans.

George Harris is publisher of Liberty Watch: The Magazine. He is also a political activist and successful Southern Nevadan businessman. Reach Harris at gopgeorge@embarqmail.com 
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