PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The founder of the Cool Moose Party who ran a half-dozen times for governor or lieutenant governor of Rhode Island has died. Robert Healey was 58.
Barrington Town Council President June Sager Speakman says police told her Healey died Sunday night. Healey was a resident of Barrington.
The medical examiner’s office says his cause of death is pending.
Healey was known for his long-flowing beard and unconventional campaign. He was an attorney who ran for governor or lieutenant governor seven times from 1986 until 2014. He founded the Cool Moose Party in 1994 and later ran as a Moderate Party candidate.
He ran for lieutenant governor in 2010, pledging to abolish the office.
In 2014, he surprised many by winning 21 percent of the vote in a three-way gubernatorial race.