Mike Ferguson (New Jersey politician)

Michael A. Ferguson (born July 22, 1970) is an American Republican Party politician who served as member of the United States House of Representatives representing New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 2001 to 2009. Ferguson is now a senior advisor at BakerHostetler and leader of the firm's Federal Policy team.

Mike Ferguson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 7th district
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2009
Preceded byBob Franks
Succeeded byLeonard Lance
Personal details
Born (1970-07-22) July 22, 1970
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Maureen Ferguson
ResidenceNew Providence, New Jersey
Alma materUniversity of Notre Dame (BA)
Georgetown University (MPA)
OccupationSchool teacher/administrator, Legislator

Life and early career

Ferguson was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Ferguson is the son of Thomas Ferguson, former chairman and CEO of CommonHealth USA, a healthcare marketing and communications group. He attended the Delbarton School, the University of Notre Dame, and has an MPA from the Georgetown University.[1]

Before running for Congress he worked as a teacher at a private school, and worked as a part-time as an instructor at a community college.[2]

Congressional career

Ferguson was the Republican nominee for 6th Congressional District in 1998, but lost to Democratic incumbent Frank Pallone. In 1999, Ferguson moved to the more Republican 7th district, where incumbent Bob Franks was retiring to run for the United States Senate. Ferguson defeated Thomas Kean Jr. and future West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in the primary. He faced a difficult general election campaign against the Democratic candidate, former Fanwood mayor Maryanne Connelly but narrowly won, receiving 50% of the vote. At 30 years old, Ferguson was the youngest member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation.

Ferguson initially was a Member of the House Financial Services Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Small Business Committee. Early in his career he played an active role in committee hearings on corporate accounting scandals at Enron and Worldcom,[3][4][5] and cosponsored the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.[6] He also served on the House–Senate conference committee which produced the first terrorism risk insurance law in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[7]

In his second term, Ferguson joined the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he served as Vice Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, and also served on the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee and the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. During his time on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Ferguson became a key Republican Member on health care issues broadly and a champion for the life sciences industry which employed large numbers of his constituents. This included working with his colleagues to ensure passage of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.[8]

In 2002 and 2004, Ferguson defeated challenges from Democrats Tim Carden and Steve Brozak by comparatively large margins.[9][10]

In 2005, citing his family's own experience in providing care to his mother as she fought cancer, Ferguson sponsored the Lifespan Respite Care Act, which authorized $289 million in grants to states to train volunteers and provide respite care services to sick and elderly family members or children with special needs. President George W. Bush signed Ferguson's legislation into law December 21, 2006.[11]

In 2006, Ferguson won reelection in a tight race with Democratic state legislator Linda Stender. Stender attempted to portray him as too conservative for the district and tie him with President Bush, who was extremely unpopular at the time in New Jersey. The 7th district had a slight Republican lean, and Stender won the more liberal suburban counties of Middlesex and Union. Ferguson managed to win reelection by winning large margins in the more conservative areas in Somerset and Hunterdon counties, and holding Stender to only a small lead in Union. Overall, he defeated Stender by just over 3,000 votes and a margin of less than 2 percentage points.[12]

Ferguson announced on November 19, 2007, that he would not run for re-election in 2008, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family.[13] He was succeeded by fellow Republican Leonard Lance, a state senator. Ferguson and his wife Maureen have five children.

Ferguson was the recipient of the 2005 Outstanding Legislator of the Year award from the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 2006 Legislator of the Year Award from the National Visiting Nurses Association,[14] and the 2007 Congressional Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Overall, Ferguson's voting record was moderate by national Republican standards, as is typical of Republicans from New Jersey.[15] He was known as a social conservative and staunch advocate for anti-abortion causes, obtaining a 100% rating by the National Right to Life Committee.[16]

Post-congressional career

Upon his retirement from Congress effective January 3, 2009, Ferguson became chairman and CEO of Ferguson Strategies LLC, a government affairs and strategic business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. The firm provided services to Fortune 100 companies as well as start-ups, with an emphasis on health care and life sciences as well as financial services and energy.[17]

Ferguson co-chaired New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's victorious 2009 campaign, and after the election served as Chairman of the Treasury Subcommittee for Christie's transition team.[18][19] Christie later nominated Ferguson to be a board member of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; Ferguson's nomination was approved March 10, 2011, by the Democratic-controlled New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee and March 21, 2011, by the full Senate.[20][21]

Ferguson is also a senior fellow at the non-profit Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.[22]

In 2016, Ferguson joined the law firm BakerHostetler as a senior advisor and leader of the firm's Federal Policy team.[23] Under Ferguson's leadership, the firm provides government affairs and lobbying services to businesses of all sizes, from global corporations to startup firms.[24]

Electoral history
New Jersey's 7th congressional district: Results 2000–2006[25]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2000 Maryanne Connelly 113,479 46% Mike Ferguson 128,434 52% Jerry L. Coleman Independent 5,444 2% Darren Young Independent 973 <1% *
2002 Tim Carden 74,879 41% Mike Ferguson 106,055 58% Darren Young Libertarian 2,068 1%
2004 Steve Brozak 119,081 42% Mike Ferguson 162,597 57% Thomas Abrams Libertarian 2,153 1% Matthew Williams Independent 2,016 1%
2006 Linda Stender 95,454 48% Mike Ferguson 98,399 49% Thomas Abrams Withdraw Troops Now 3,176 2% Darren Young Libertarian 2,046 1%

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2000, Shawn Gianella received 386 votes and Mary T. Johnson received 283 votes.

References
  1. Members of Congress / Mike Ferguson Archived 2007-04-20 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post. Accessed February 15, 2011.
  2. Congressman Gives Pupils Lesson Archived 2007-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, copy of article from Home News Tribune by Suzanne C. Russell, January 25, 2001
  3. The Enron Collapse: Implications to Investors and the Capital Markets Archived 2016-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, Hearings before the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 107th Congress, 2nd Session, February 4, 5, 2002. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  4. H.R. 3763—The Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Act of 2002, Hearings before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 107th Congress, 2nd Session, March 13, 20; April 9, 2002. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  5. Wrong Numbers: The Accounting Problems at WorldCom, Hearing before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 107th Congress, 2nd Session, July 8, 2002. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  6. Bill Summary & Status – 107th Congress (2001–2002) – H.R. 3763 – Cosponsors, THOMAS (Library of Congress). Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  7. Bill Summary & Status – 107th Congress (2001–2002) – H.R. 3210 – All Congressional Actions, THOMAS (Library of Congress). Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  8. Ferguson Strategies LLC – Congressman Mike Ferguson. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  9. CNN.com Election 2002 – State Races: New Jersey. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  10. CNN.com Election 2004: New Jersey. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  11. Bill Summary & Status – 109th Congress (2005–2006) – H.R. 3248, THOMAS (Library of Congress). Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  12. CNN.com – Elections 2006: U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / NEW JERSEY 07. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  13. Chebium, Raju. "Ferguson won't seek reelection to Congress", Home News Tribune, November 19, 2007. Accessed November 19, 2007. "Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-Warren Township, said today he won't seek reelection next year to a fifth term.... he next elections are in November 2008; Stender is again a Democratic candidate for the 7th district seat Ferguson currently occupies."
  14. "Visiting Nurses Select Congressman Ferguson for National Award" Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine, Visiting Nurses of America Archived 2011-04-03 at the Wayback Machine, March 31, 2006. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  15. Mike Ferguson on the Issues, OnTheIssues.org. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  16. Mike Ferguson on Abortion, OnTheIssues.org. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  17. Ferguson Strategies LLC: Clients. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  18. "Kyrillos will head Christie campaign", Politicker NJ, February 10, 2009. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  19. Ferguson, Mike. Treasury Subcommittee Draft Transition Report, State of New Jersey, Office of the Governor, January 14, 2010. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  20. Rizzo, Salvador "NJ Senate panel approves former U.S. Rep. Ferguson's nomination to N.J. sports authority", The Star-Ledger – NJ.com, March 10, 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  21. Brennan, John. "N.J. Senate OKs Michael Ferguson for sports authority post" Archived 2012-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, The Record, March 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  22. The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest | Mike Ferguson Archived 2011-01-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  23. "Former U.S. Congressman Mike Ferguson Joins BakerHostetler to Lead Federal Policy Team". www.bakerlaw.com. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  24. https://www.bakerlaw.com/FederalPolicy
  25. "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bob Franks		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 7th congressional district
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2009		 Succeeded by
Leonard Lance
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