Robert J. "Bob" Healey, Junior. was an American attorney, businessman, educator, restaurateur and political activist.
Background
Robert J. Healey was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Robert J. Healey Senior 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.
Education
In 1983 he began a Doctor of Philosophy program at Columbia University, but after he had completed all the requirements, his dissertation supervisor died and he could not find a replacement.
Career
Healey ran for Governor or Lieutenant Governor a total of seven times. 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). 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. The (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". In 1996, twenty CMP candidates ran for office.
All were defeated. In 1998, the successfully sued the state of Rhode Island to change its restrictive laws regarding primary elections. 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.
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 Grand Old Party 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.
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. 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.
Politics
He was the founder of Rhode Island"s, the state"s third-largest political party from 1994 until 2002, and was a perennial candidate for statewide office.