Mike Ferguson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's7th district | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Franks |
| Succeeded by | Leonard Lance |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael A. Ferguson (1970-07-22)July 22, 1970 (age 55) Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Maureen Ferguson |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) Georgetown University (MPA) |
Michael A. Ferguson (born July 22, 1970) is an AmericanRepublican Partypolitician who served as member of theUnited States House of Representatives representingNew Jersey's 7th congressional district from 2001 to 2009. Ferguson is now executive vice president atAT&T and leader of the company's federal legislative relations team.
Ferguson was born inRidgewood, New Jersey. Ferguson is the son of Thomas Ferguson, former chairman and CEO of CommonHealth USA, a healthcare marketing and communications group. He attended theDelbarton School, theUniversity of Notre Dame, and has anMPA from theGeorgetown University.[1] He attended the University of Notre Dame with punk musicianTed Leo, where it is claimed that he adhered to more left-leaning politics, voiced in the song "The Anointed One" off the albumHearts of Oak.[2]
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.[3]
Ferguson was the Republican nominee for6th Congressional District in 1998, but lost to Democratic incumbentFrank Pallone. In 1999, Ferguson moved to the more Republican 7th district, where incumbentBob Franks was retiring to run for the United States Senate. Ferguson defeatedThomas Kean Jr. and futureGovernor of West VirginiaPatrick Morrisey in the primary. He faced a difficult general election campaign against the Democratic candidate, formerFanwood mayorMaryanne 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 theHouse Financial Services Committee, theTransportation and Infrastructure Committee, and theSmall Business Committee. Early in his career he played an active role in committee hearings oncorporate accounting scandals atEnron andWorldcom,[4][5][6] and cosponsored theSarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.[7] He also served on the House–Senateconference committee which produced the firstterrorism risk insurance law in the wake of theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks.[8]
In his second term, Ferguson joined theHouse Energy and Commerce Committee, where he served as Vice Chairman of theHealth Subcommittee, and also served on theTelecommunications and Internet Subcommittee and theOversight 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 theMedicare Part D prescription drug benefit.[9]
In 2002 and 2004, Ferguson defeated challenges from Democrats Tim Carden andSteve Brozak by comparatively large margins.[10][11]
In 2005, citing his family's own experience in providing care to his mother as she fought cancer, Ferguson sponsored theLifespan Respite Care Act, which authorized $289 million in grants to states to train volunteers and providerespite care services to sick and elderly family members or children with special needs. PresidentGeorge W. Bush signed Ferguson's legislation into law December 21, 2006.[12]
In 2006, Ferguson won reelection in a tight race with Democratic state legislatorLinda 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 ofMiddlesex andUnion. Ferguson managed to win reelection by winning large margins in the more conservative areas inSomerset andHunterdon 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.[13]
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.[14] He was succeeded by fellow RepublicanLeonard 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 JerseyVeterans of Foreign Wars, the 2006 Legislator of the Year Award from the National Visiting Nurses Association,[15] and the 2007 Congressional Award from theLeukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Overall, Ferguson's voting record was moderate by national Republican standards, as is typical of Republicans from New Jersey.[16] He was known as a social conservative and staunch advocate foranti-abortion causes, obtaining a 100% rating by theNational Right to Life Committee.[17]
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 toFortune 100 companies as well as start-ups, with an emphasis on health care and life sciences as well as financial services and energy.[18]
Ferguson co-chairedNew Jersey GovernorChris Christie's victorious2009 campaign, and after the election served as Chairman of the Treasury Subcommittee for Christie's transition team.[19][20] Christie later nominated Ferguson to be a board member of theNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; Ferguson's nomination was approved March 10, 2011, by the Democratic-controlledNew Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee and March 21, 2011, by the full Senate.[21][22]
Ferguson is also a senior fellow at the non-profitCenter for Medicine in the Public Interest.[23]
In 2016, Ferguson joined the law firmBakerHostetler as a senior advisor and leader of the firm's Federal Policy team.[24]
In 2022, Ferguson joined AT&T as executive vice president of federal legislative relations, where he is responsible for managing the team that represents AT&T before Congress, the White House, and executive branch departments.[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.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's 7th congressional district 2001–2009 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
