NEWPORT BEACH -- John Campbell is running late.

With a reporter and photographer waiting for him in the lobby of his congressional district office, he comes in without his jacket, clutching a cup from Starbucks.

He apologizes for his tardiness. He was at an event, and people wanted to bend his ear.

"You know how it is. People say, 'Wait a minute, John. I just want to ask you one more question,' " he says genially.

...After six months in office, Campbell has made a name for himself on a few key issues -- the budget and immigration, for example. He's joined some powerful existing GOP caucuses and helped form a new one.

An accountant and car dealer from Orange County who divides his sporting loyalties between UCLA and USC, Campbell has come a long way since he almost didn't run for Congress a year ago...

THE NEW JOB

Campbell plunged into the job immediately, flying to Washington, D.C., to be sworn in the day after winning the seat Dec. 6. And as he describes it, it's been nonstop work ever since.

"I'm enjoying the job. I've never worked harder in my life, but I've never been more stimulated in my life either," he said Friday during an interview in his Newport Beach district office.

He was in Orange County last week while Congress was in recess, but his trips home are rarely vacations. He travels the district to speak to constituents and attend meetings...

Although he did a lot of those things as a state legislator, there have been some changes. He went from being one of 40 senators to one of 400 representatives. His Senate district was bigger, so he doesn't represent quite as many people, but they're higher maintenance.

"We get a lot more correspondence, a lot more letters, a lot more phone calls," he said. "I'm recognized a lot more -- at the gas station, at the supermarket."

But he loves the work. After making much ado about immigration during his campaign, Campbell dove into the debate on Capitol Hill and wrote an amendment that would cut federal funding to "sanctuary" cities that don't cooperate with federal officials on immigration enforcement.

With his background as an accountant, he's naturally taken to budget and finance issues.

Campbell's involvement in those issues has drawn attention -- and in some cases, admiration.

"He is a guy who is respected for his ability to understand accounting and budget issues, just like Chris Cox was very well-respected for that same skill, which not everybody has," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who represents the neighboring district that includes Costa Mesa and was elected the same year as Cox.

"When he speaks about budget issues, I listen to him, and so does everybody else."

Rohrabacher said he wasn't happy with a Campbell vote against offshore oil drilling, but "that has been the only disappointment that I can think of."

For fellow California Rep. David Dreier, it's Campbell's work ethic that's impressive. Dreier said people aren't flocking to Campbell for advice, but he's been an important participant in debates.

"He's a very, very well-intentioned guy who wants to work hard," Dreier said. "He has the experience of having served in Sacramento, and I think that has served him very well."

…

Campbell sometimes misses Orange County; the self-described "Californian through and through" almost didn't run for Congress because he knew he'd be away so much.

He said he doesn't want to lose touch with his home -- or "go beltway," as they call it in Washington -- so he's trying to keep his connections here.

"One of the biggest things that John has done is to communicate with us back here what's going on in Washington," Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh said. "He's still very engaged with the activist community back in Orange County."

Despite fond memories of Sacramento, Campbell said he doesn't miss that town. Besides, he added with a laugh, "The restaurants are better in D.C."

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