Jessica Campbell, the former actress who appeared in Freaks and Geeks, The Safety of Objects and, in her best known role as a vengeful student body candidate in the hit 1999 comedy Election, died unexpectedly Dec. 29 at the home of a relative in Portland, Oregon. She was 38.

Her death was announced by her cousin Sarah Wessling. A cause has not been disclosed, but Campbell reportedly had experienced flu-like symptoms the morning of her death.

Campbell, who had retired from acting to become a practitioner of naturopathic, or holistic, alternative medicine, began her acting career with a role in the 1992 TV movie In the Best Interest of the Children starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

Her next project became her signature role: As Election‘s Tammy Metzler, Campbell played the sister of campus jock Paul (Chris Klein) who decides to run against her brother for student council after he starts dating her girlfriend. The...