Patricia Campbell
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
A political neophyte, Patricia Campbell was a considerable longshot when she decided to seek election to a newly-created judgeship on the Wayne County Probate Court in 1990.
The mother of eight children, Campbell was 58 years old at the time of the judicial campaign, and had the relatively paltry sum of $12,000 to spend on her bid for an eight-year term on the probate bench.
Even more daunting for Campbell was the fact that her opponent – William Leo Cahalan Jr. – had name recognition, political connections, and the backing of then-Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, who was generally recognized as the single most influential person in the city during his 20-year mayoral reign from 1974-94.
Campbell had plenty of moxie and smarts, however, relying on the advice of her political consultant Alan Feuer to wage what was labeled as “one of the most innovative campaigns” in Wayne County history. In fact, due to the dedication of family and friends who worked tirelessly to elect her, it was one that she rode into the winner’s circle on election day, easily defeating Cahalan, who was just 32 years old at the time and was three years out of law school.
The daughter of Croatian parents, Campbell spent her formative years in Chicago, graduating from Gage Park High School before earning a degree in German from the University of Illinois in Champaign. Her desire to travel and to live overseas led to a position with the U.S. government in Germany, where she met her future husband, Don. The couple returned to Don’s hometown of Detroit, married, and raised a family of eight children.
Campbell’s husband was serving as a Wayne County assistant prosecutor when he suffered a severe stroke at age 47, suddenly forcing her into a breadwinner’s role for the family.
“When my mom told my dad that she was going to attend law school, he said something to the effect of ‘We don’t need a lawyer, we need a banker,’” recalled their son, Donald D. Campbell, the current president of Collins Einhorn.
Her husband provided full-fledged support for his wife’s plans to obtain a law degree by taking over household responsibilities while she went to school at night, which she did from Wayne State University Law School in 1975. Her first full-time legal job was that of an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County.
“My mom’s commitment to Detroit youth eventually earned her the position of referee in Wayne County Juvenile Court,” said her son.
When the family matriarch decided to seek elective office in 1990, she was summarily suspended from her job – without pay. This action was later found to be improper, and she was ultimately awarded her back pay. But the county’s action robbed her of income during the run-up to the election.
Undeterred by the setback, Campbell devoted all of her energy to executing the campaign game plan, devised by political consultant Feuer, to rally grass roots support.
“Feuer’s strategy was for her to identify the 5,000 most important opinion-makers in Wayne County and to send each of them a series of flyers outlining her story in hopes that it would have a trickle-down effect across the county,” explained her son.
The first in a series of tri-fold campaign letters she mailed carried the all-caps headline on the front, “I WILL LOSE.”
On the flip side of the mailing, Campbell wrote: “I’m a candidate for Probate Judge, and I’m about to lose an election. Maybe you don’t care.
“Maybe you should. I’ve been a lawyer for 15 years. My opponent has just three years’ experience. The Bar Association says I’m ‘Well Qualified’ to serve as Judge of the Probate Court. They say my opponent is ‘Not Qualified.’
“But he’s famous, or his name is. He’s the cousin of a former judge and prosecutor. And the son of another judge.
“My name’s Patricia Campbell. His is Cahalan, William Leo Jr. That’s my problem.
“I’ve got about a month to tell people about my qualifications, and the choice they’ll make when voting for Probate Court in Wayne County. One month to tell people that I’ve worked in Probate Court for 11 years. That I’ve served as a Probate Court Referee for nine years, and before that, as an Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor.
“One month to win ‘The Name Game.’ Or change the rules of the game.”
The mailing was the creative handiwork of Feuer, a Cornell University alum who had developed a reputation as one of the best campaign advisers in the business.
The letter soon caught the attention of both Detroit daily newspapers, which featured the campaign piece on a section front appearing in a combined Sunday edition that reached hundreds of thousands of readers across the state.
Suddenly and surprisingly, Campbell had hit the bonanza when it came to the metrics of “trickle-down effect.”
Campbell’s campaign got another boost when popular Detroit News columnist Pete Waldmeir wrote a flattering piece about her, trumpeting her years of distinguished legal service with the county.
Feuer then crafted four more campaign mailings, including one that blared in big, bold type: “I WOULDN’T VOTE FOR MY CHILDREN.”
Her reason for proclaiming such: “I’m especially proud that three of my children are lawyers, since I’ve practiced law for 15 years,” Campbell wrote. “But I wouldn’t vote for any of them.
“They’re not ready to serve as Judge. Maybe they will be someday – I’d like that. But right now, I wouldn’t vote for any of them, though all are good lawyers – and one is more experienced than my opponent . . . a lawyer for just three years.
“But I still won’t vote for my children, famous name or not. Not until they learn a little more about the law, and about life. I love my children more than anything – I just don’t think judging is all that easy.”
The Wayne County electorate agreed, voting overwhelmingly in favor of Campbell, who would serve faithfully for 14 years on the bench after winning re-election to a six-year term in office.
“When she won the first time, we were stunned – and elated,” said Don Campbell. “We didn’t think she would make it out of the primary, let alone beat a big-name candidate in the general election. You could never underestimate what she could do. She was an amazing person in so many respects – as a wife, a mother, a lawyer, and as a judge.
“Mom gave 14 years of service in the Juvenile Court in Wayne County,” Campbell noted, “and a story for the ages to share with her 17 grandchildren – and anyone else who needs a reason to never underestimate the power of the possible.”
Legal News
A political neophyte, Patricia Campbell was a considerable longshot when she decided to seek election to a newly-created judgeship on the Wayne County Probate Court in 1990.
The mother of eight children, Campbell was 58 years old at the time of the judicial campaign, and had the relatively paltry sum of $12,000 to spend on her bid for an eight-year term on the probate bench.
Even more daunting for Campbell was the fact that her opponent – William Leo Cahalan Jr. – had name recognition, political connections, and the backing of then-Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, who was generally recognized as the single most influential person in the city during his 20-year mayoral reign from 1974-94.
Campbell had plenty of moxie and smarts, however, relying on the advice of her political consultant Alan Feuer to wage what was labeled as “one of the most innovative campaigns” in Wayne County history. In fact, due to the dedication of family and friends who worked tirelessly to elect her, it was one that she rode into the winner’s circle on election day, easily defeating Cahalan, who was just 32 years old at the time and was three years out of law school.
The daughter of Croatian parents, Campbell spent her formative years in Chicago, graduating from Gage Park High School before earning a degree in German from the University of Illinois in Champaign. Her desire to travel and to live overseas led to a position with the U.S. government in Germany, where she met her future husband, Don. The couple returned to Don’s hometown of Detroit, married, and raised a family of eight children.
Campbell’s husband was serving as a Wayne County assistant prosecutor when he suffered a severe stroke at age 47, suddenly forcing her into a breadwinner’s role for the family.
“When my mom told my dad that she was going to attend law school, he said something to the effect of ‘We don’t need a lawyer, we need a banker,’” recalled their son, Donald D. Campbell, the current president of Collins Einhorn.
Her husband provided full-fledged support for his wife’s plans to obtain a law degree by taking over household responsibilities while she went to school at night, which she did from Wayne State University Law School in 1975. Her first full-time legal job was that of an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County.
“My mom’s commitment to Detroit youth eventually earned her the position of referee in Wayne County Juvenile Court,” said her son.
When the family matriarch decided to seek elective office in 1990, she was summarily suspended from her job – without pay. This action was later found to be improper, and she was ultimately awarded her back pay. But the county’s action robbed her of income during the run-up to the election.
Undeterred by the setback, Campbell devoted all of her energy to executing the campaign game plan, devised by political consultant Feuer, to rally grass roots support.
“Feuer’s strategy was for her to identify the 5,000 most important opinion-makers in Wayne County and to send each of them a series of flyers outlining her story in hopes that it would have a trickle-down effect across the county,” explained her son.
The first in a series of tri-fold campaign letters she mailed carried the all-caps headline on the front, “I WILL LOSE.”
On the flip side of the mailing, Campbell wrote: “I’m a candidate for Probate Judge, and I’m about to lose an election. Maybe you don’t care.
“Maybe you should. I’ve been a lawyer for 15 years. My opponent has just three years’ experience. The Bar Association says I’m ‘Well Qualified’ to serve as Judge of the Probate Court. They say my opponent is ‘Not Qualified.’
“But he’s famous, or his name is. He’s the cousin of a former judge and prosecutor. And the son of another judge.
“My name’s Patricia Campbell. His is Cahalan, William Leo Jr. That’s my problem.
“I’ve got about a month to tell people about my qualifications, and the choice they’ll make when voting for Probate Court in Wayne County. One month to tell people that I’ve worked in Probate Court for 11 years. That I’ve served as a Probate Court Referee for nine years, and before that, as an Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor.
“One month to win ‘The Name Game.’ Or change the rules of the game.”
The mailing was the creative handiwork of Feuer, a Cornell University alum who had developed a reputation as one of the best campaign advisers in the business.
The letter soon caught the attention of both Detroit daily newspapers, which featured the campaign piece on a section front appearing in a combined Sunday edition that reached hundreds of thousands of readers across the state.
Suddenly and surprisingly, Campbell had hit the bonanza when it came to the metrics of “trickle-down effect.”
Campbell’s campaign got another boost when popular Detroit News columnist Pete Waldmeir wrote a flattering piece about her, trumpeting her years of distinguished legal service with the county.
Feuer then crafted four more campaign mailings, including one that blared in big, bold type: “I WOULDN’T VOTE FOR MY CHILDREN.”
Her reason for proclaiming such: “I’m especially proud that three of my children are lawyers, since I’ve practiced law for 15 years,” Campbell wrote. “But I wouldn’t vote for any of them.
“They’re not ready to serve as Judge. Maybe they will be someday – I’d like that. But right now, I wouldn’t vote for any of them, though all are good lawyers – and one is more experienced than my opponent . . . a lawyer for just three years.
“But I still won’t vote for my children, famous name or not. Not until they learn a little more about the law, and about life. I love my children more than anything – I just don’t think judging is all that easy.”
The Wayne County electorate agreed, voting overwhelmingly in favor of Campbell, who would serve faithfully for 14 years on the bench after winning re-election to a six-year term in office.
“When she won the first time, we were stunned – and elated,” said Don Campbell. “We didn’t think she would make it out of the primary, let alone beat a big-name candidate in the general election. You could never underestimate what she could do. She was an amazing person in so many respects – as a wife, a mother, a lawyer, and as a judge.
“Mom gave 14 years of service in the Juvenile Court in Wayne County,” Campbell noted, “and a story for the ages to share with her 17 grandchildren – and anyone else who needs a reason to never underestimate the power of the possible.”
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