Robert J. Healey

Bob Healey
Personal details
Born	(1957-05-03)May 3, 1957 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died	Barrington, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political party	Independent (Before 1994) Cool Moose Party (1994–2014) Moderate (2014–2016)
Alma mater	Rhode Island College Boston University New England School of Law Northeastern University Columbia University
Website	Campaign website

Robert J. "Bob" Healey, Jr. (May 3, 1957 – March 20, 2016) was an American attorney, businessman, educator, restaurateur and political activist. He was the founder of Rhode Island's Cool Moose Party, the state's third-largest political party from 1994 until 2002, and was a perennial candidate for statewide office. Healey ran for Governor or Lieutenant Governor a total of seven times. Running as an independent candidate in 2010, he won 39% of the vote for Lieutenant Governor, running on a platform of abolishing the office. As the Moderate Party nominee for Governor in 2014, Healey won 22% of the vote while spending less than $40 on the campaign.

Early life, education and early career

Robert J. Healey was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Robert J. Healey Sr. and Mary (Martinelli) Healey on May 3, 1957. His father was a plumber and his mother a factory worker. He grew up in Warren, Rhode Island, and graduated from Warren High School in 1975. He went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in English and Secondary Education from Rhode Island College, a Master's Degree in Reading Education from Boston University (1980), a degree in law from the New England School of Law (1983), and a Master's Degree in English Literature from Northeastern University (1985). In 1983 he began a PhD program at Columbia University, but after he had completed all the requirements, his dissertation supervisor died and he could not find a replacement.

He was elected to the Warren School Committee in 1982, serving as Chairman until 1986. He ran for Governor as an independent in 1986. After his first run for Governor, Healey was Secretary of the Bristol County Bar association.

Cool Moose Party

The Cool Moose Party (CMP) was founded by Healey in 1994 during his second gubernatorial campaign. The party's platform is "to break down the ideological barriers that have kept common sense out of our government". Healey won 9% of the vote in 1994. In 1996, twenty CMP candidates ran for office; all were defeated.

In 1998, the Cool Moose Party successfully sued the state of Rhode Island to change its restrictive laws regarding primary elections. Cool Moose Party v. State of Rhode Island has been referenced in other states' court decisions relating to third-party candidates.

Healey ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2002, 2006, and 2010. In 2010 he ran on a platform of abolishing the office, as it has no constitutionally-mandated duties outside of waiting for the governor to become incapacitated. Running against incumbent Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts in that election, Healey won 39% of the vote.

2014 gubernatorial campaign

In September 2014, Healey announced he was running for Governor as a Moderate Party candidate. His announcement came after the original Moderate nominee, James Spooner, withdrew from the race for health reasons. Healey has stated he will not accept any funding, instead opting for a "guerilla campaign" for a "cerebral revolution". Shortly after he filed his candidacy, the Rhode Island GOP challenged the legality of the move on procedural grounds. The state board of elections found that Healey was in fact eligible to replace Spooner on the ballot. Healey came in 3rd with 21.4% of the election votes.

Other activities

Healey has invested in several business ventures. A liquor wholesaling company that he founded with a partner was very successful and Healey sold out his stake and invested in land in South America. He has also exported California wines to Uruguay, imported tableware from Uruguay, started an ice cream business, a wine and cheese outlet, and a yachting service. He has written a children's book, The King Needs Sleep.

Healey has served as Secretary of the Bristol County Bar Association since the mid-1980s.

Death

Healey was found dead in his bed at his home in Barrington, Rhode Island before midnight on March 20, 2016. He is believed to have died from a suspected heart attack in his sleep. He was 58 years old.

Electoral history

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1986

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Edward D. DiPrete (inc.)	208,822	64.7%	+3.59%
	Democratic	Bruce G. Sundlun	104,504	32.4%
	Cool Moose	Robert J. Healey	5,964	1.8%
	Citizens Party	Anthony D. Affigne	3,481	1.1%

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1994

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Lincoln Almond	171,194	47.37%	+13.10%
	Democratic	Myrth York	157,361	43.54%	-18.01%
	Cool Moose	Robert J. Healey	32,822	9.08%

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 1998

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Lincoln Almond (inc.)	156,180	50.97%	+3.59%
	Democratic	Myrth York	129,105	42.13%	-1.41%
	Cool Moose	Robert J. Healey	19,250	6.28%
	Reform	Joseph F. Devine	1,848	0.60%
	Write-ins		62	0.02%

Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Charles J. Fogarty(inc.)	175,218	53.75%	+3.59%
	Republican	John A. Pagliarini, Jr.	80,813	24.79%	-1.41%
	Cool Moose	Robert J. Healey	61,244	18.79%
	Green	Gregg R. Stevens	8,705	2.67%

Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Elizabeth H. Roberts	202,659	53.07%	+13.10%
	Republican	Reginald A. Centracchio	128,011	33.52%	-18.01%
	Independent	Robert J. Healey	51,220	13.41%

Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Elizabeth H. Roberts	175,640	54.51
	Cool Moose	Robert Healey	126,063	39.13
	Independent	Robert P. Venturini	20,295	6.30
	Independent	James B. Spooner	98	0.03
	Independent	Kara D. Russo	85	0.03
	Republican	Heidi Rogers	25	0.01

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gina M. Raimondo	131,452	40.7
	Republican	Allan W. Fung	117,106	36.2
	Moderate	Robert J. Healey, Jr.	69,070	21.4
	Independent	Kate L. Fletcher	3,474	1.1
	Independent	Leon M. Kayarian	1,221	0.4
	Write-ins		732	0.2

External links

• Official website
• Bob Healey's Campaign Journal – A Guerrilla Guide to the Cerebral Revolution
• Bob Healey on Facebook
• Bob Healey on Twitter

• http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2014/general_election/