Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell said Wednesday he would not pursue "earmark" spending requests for California if he wins office.

Campbell, who has served two separate times in Congress, said special "earmark" appropriations for specific projects outside the normal budget process are "awful." The practice, he said, allows powerful members of Congress to "put some project in that wouldn't otherwise pass the test."

Most members of Congress pursue some level of earmark spending, including those who oppose the process. But Campbell said he would not pursue such requests on principle, even if other members and senators pursued projects for their constituents.

"I think to be fiscally conservative, to be responsible, is to advocate a system that does not put anybody at advantage over another, unfairly," Campbell said in a meeting with The Bee's Capitol Bureau. "I'm a pragmatist, and participating in something that's wrong for the country is way over the line about being a pragmatist. There's a lot that you can do for the state of California short of putting an earmark in in the context of an appropriation bill."

Campbell said he would pursue the same path as Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, who has adhered to his pledge not to seek earmark spending for his district since winning office in 2008. That policy has frustrated elected officials in his own district, many of whom are Republican.

Another Senate GOP candidate, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, last week said he would not pursue earmarks. "I believe that earmarks have become so toxic that what's happened is that people who otherwise are fiscally prudent will justify voting for an appropriations bill that is 15, 20, 25 percent more than the year before because they got a library in their district, because they got a bridge, something. And it's a rationalization."

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has said she thinks the earmark system should be abolished. But it is not clear whether she would refrain from pursuing earmarks for California while the system remains in place.

Update (9 p.m.): Fiorina press secretary Amy Thoma issued the following statement this afternoon:

"Carly Fiorina is a strong fiscal conservative who will fight to ban congressional earmarks. Carly believes this is one of the important steps that must be taken to stop overspending and make the federal government accountable and transparent. Earmarks are a product of the insider games played by special interests and career politicians in Washington - and they are exactly the kind thing voters are tired of."

PHOTO CREDIT: Republican Tom Campbell announces his run for U.S. Senate on Jan. 15 in Sacramento. Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com