As one of the key policymakers involved in building the British Columbia Liberal Party, Campbell has "emerged as a major political figure in the province," Tupper said.
During his tenure as party leader, Campbell transformed the Liberal Party into "a quite efficient electoral machine," he added.
In Tuesday's election, Campbell's party also increased the number of seats it holds in the British Columbia legislature from 45 to 49, The Toronto Star reported on Thursday. The National Democratic Party, the Liberals' primary rival, lost seats in the election, although the legislature grew by six seats overall.
Campbell's success was due in part to his role in winning and managing the Olympic Games for Vancouver, Tupper said.
"Landing those games requires a very substantial partnership between governments and businesses," he said. "He's been central to that movement."
Campbell has also been involved in a number of controversial policies implemented in the province, Tupper said. Aboriginal rights and tribal land claims are major issues in the region, principally because much of the province's economy is based on the timber, fishing and mineral resources industries, which can be affected by official decisions on tribal land holdings.
"The issue here is that Mr. Campbell has very substantially altered his views on this matter, from what were seen as conservative and, by certain corridors ... negative attitudes to aboriginal issues, to one that would be seen as much more open-minded and liberal," Tupper said.
The government's institution of a tax on carbon emissions, designed to limit climate change while generating income, was a major point of contention during the election, he said.
Tupper said it was unusual that the Liberal Party, which typically holds to the center-right in the political spectrum, advocated for the environmental measure. This became problematic for the NDP, which is more closely aligned with the left, as the party had to oppose the policy, he said.
Policies aimed at election reform have also been a significant part of Campbell's platform, Tupper said. Campbell has pushed for several referendums to replace British Columbia's current method of counting ballots -- a "first past the post" method like that used in American elections -- with the single-transferable vote system, which proponents have said would lead to more proportional representation. Under the proposed STV system, electoral districts would be enlarged to include more territory, but would have multiple representatives. Instead of casting a single vote, voters would preferentially rank the available candidates, with the overall top-ranking candidates winning the election.
Campbell attended Dartmouth on a scholarship awarded to students by Canadian alumni. Although he originally hoped to attend medical school, Campbell decided to complete an English major instead due to the influence of several English professors, according to a 2001 article in The Vancouver Sun.
Campbell was active in The Tabard coed fraternity during his time at the College, The Sun reported. Campbell began his career in government and municipal affairs as a summer student intern in the offices of the City of Vancouver. He would later become mayor of the city in 1986, The Sun reported.
The first item on Campbell's agenda after the election will likely be the formation of a cabinet, Tupper said. Campbell's government is unlikely to implement any dramatically new policies, Tupper said, because the Liberal Party previously held a strong enough majority to implement its agenda.
"He's got a full plate right now, let alone the new issues that are inherited," he said. "It will be, essentially, business as normal."
Campbell's office could not be reached for comment by press time. Other leaders in the British Columbia Liberal Party could not be reached for comment.