{{Infobox political party | colorcode = {{party color|Cool Moose Party}} | name = Cool Moose Party | logo = | logo_size = 250px | leader1_title = | leader1_name = | leader2_title = Founder | leader2_name = Robert J. Healey | foundation = 1994 | dissolved = | headquarters = Rhode Island, U.S. | ideology = Anti-establishment<ref name="Founder"/><br>Constitutionalism<ref name="WhyNot"/><br>Fiscal conservatism<ref name="WhyNot"/><br>Libertarianism<ref name="Founder"/> | position = | international = | colors = | website = | country = the United States }} The '''Cool Moose Party''' was a political party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Founded in 1994 by perennial candidate Robert J. Healey, it was the state's third-largest political party from 1994 to 2002. Described as having "a very libertarian slant",<ref name="Founder">{{cite web |title=Founder of Cool Moose Party in Rhode Island dies at 58 |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-0b98aaf7bbf04ee696f101b88d2d08b3 |website=AP News |access-date=25 May 2026 |language=en |date=21 March 2016}}</ref> the party's official campaign platform focused on reducing government involvement in policymaking.<ref name=Platform>{{cite web |title=THE PHILOSOPHY AND THE PARTY PLATFORM OF THE COOL MOOSE PARTY 1995 |url=http://www.votehealey.com/images/platform.pdf |website=Vote Healey |access-date=28 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100802204529/http://www.votehealey.com/images/platform.pdf |archive-date=2 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
The party received 39.2% of the vote in the 2010 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election, marking one of the best third-party performances in a statewide election.<ref name="RIGov"/> ''The Providence Journal'' described the party's electoral history as "respectable, if not spectacular".<ref name="respectable">{{cite web |last1=Gregg |first1=Katherine |title=Cool Moose Party founder to run for R.I. governor again — this time as Moderate |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2014/09/12/20140911-cool-moose-party-founder-to-run-for-r-i-governor-again-this-time-as-moderate-ece/35276167007/ |website=The Providence Journal |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref>
== History == The Cool Moose Party was formed in 1994 by perennial candidate Robert J. Healey, who had previously ran for governor of Rhode Island in 1986 and 1994 as an independent.<ref name="RIHS">{{cite web |title=Cool Moose Party Records |url=https://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss1058.htm |website=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref> Rhode Island permits the use of political party designations,<ref>{{cite web |title=Political parties in Rhode Island |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Political_parties_in_Rhode_Island |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=25 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref> meaning Healey's party affiliation appeared on the ballot as 'Cool Moose Party' despite the party not yet having official recognition in the state.<ref name="Multi">{{cite web |title=Candidate Profile |url=https://www.multistate.us/elections/candidate?id=63190&st=RI |website=MultiState Elections |access-date=25 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="BoE">{{cite web |title=General Election November 4, 1986 |url=https://elections.ri.gov/elections/results/1986 |website=Rhode Island Board of Elections |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref> Healey received around 9% of the vote in the 1994 election, giving the Cool Moose Party ballot access in future Rhode Island elections.<ref name="RIHS"/>
Healey stated that Ross Perot's 1992 presidential campaign inspired the creation of the party, which he positioned as an alternative option for disgruntled voters.<ref name="Providence">{{cite web |title=Despite public frustration with limited options, Greens and other third party candidates still face an uphill battle in American politics |url=https://providencephoenix.com/archive/features/02/10/03/THIRD.html |website=The Providence Phoenix News |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref> In 1995,<ref name="WhyNot"/> the party held their first political convention at the Community College of Rhode Island, officially electing Healey as chairman.<ref name="Providence"/>
In 1996, the party ran over twenty candidates for a variety of offices, with two Cool Moose Party candidates winning seats on the Hopkinton town council.<ref name="RIHS"/> Healey resigned as party chairman in 1998,<ref name="WhyNot"/> choosing instead to contest that year's gubernatorial election.<ref name="Multi"/> Running on the campaign slogan "Healey for Governor. Why not? You've done worse",<ref name="WhyNot">{{cite web |last1=Tempera |first1=Jacqueline |title=Cool Moose party founder Robert Healey, R.I. original, has died |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/state/2016/03/21/cool-moose-party-founder-robert-healey-ri-original-has-died/32071659007/ |website=The Providence Journal |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref> the party received around 6% of the vote.<ref name="RIHS"/> That same year, the Cool Moose Party successfully sued the state of Rhode Island to change its primary election laws to allow third-party candidates.<ref name="WhyNot"/>
Healey first ran for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island as a Cool Moose Party candidate in 2002, receiving 18.8% of the vote after promising to abolish the position he was running for.<ref name="RIHS"/> After the 2002 election, the party lost official recognition from the state of Rhode Island,<ref name="Providence"/> though Healey ran again in 2006,<ref name="Vows">{{cite web |title=Cool Moose candidate vows to eliminate own office if elected |url=https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2006/11/cool-moose-candidate-vows-to-eliminate-own-office-if-elected |website=The Brown Daily Herald |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref> finishing in a distant third with 13.4% of the vote,<ref name="Multi"/> despite the party spending less than US$1000 on his candidacy and refusing to accept campaign donations.<ref name="Vows"/>
=== 2010 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election === In 2010, Healey announced he would mount his third campaign for Rhode Island lieutenant governor. Despite the party no longer being officially recognized by the state of Rhode Island, Healey chose to list his party designation as 'Cool Moose Party'.<ref name="Multi"/>
The party's campaign platform once again focused on abolishing the position of lieutenant governor,<ref name="Founder"/> which Healey viewed as redundant.<ref name="Waste">{{cite web |title=In R.I., running for a 'waste' of a job |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38448656 |website=NBC News |access-date=25 May 2026 |language=en |date=28 July 2010}}</ref> To demonstrate the party's view that the lieutenant governor had no responsibilities,<ref name="Vows"/> Healey declared his candidacy from his beachfront home in Punta del Este, Uruguay,<ref name="Vows"/><ref name="Governing">{{cite web |last1=Patton |first1=Zach |title=Governing Rhode Island Never Looked So Good |url=https://www.governing.com/archive/Governing-Rhode-Island-Never.html |website=Governing |access-date=28 May 2026 |language=en |date=7 May 2010}}</ref> where he pledged that if elected, he would refuse to accept a salary or hire staff members.<ref name="Governing"/>
During the campaign, the party distributed condoms reading "Robert Healey for Lt. Governor – Feels as though he's not even there".<ref name="condom">{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Zeke |title=Independent man |url=https://www.newportri.com/story/entertainment/2014/11/12/independent-man/12752840007/ |website=Newport Daily News |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref> The party also produced wooden nickels for the campaign, which read "Coin Equal to the Value of Lt. Governor's Office ... Worthless".<ref name="WhyNot"/>
Healey urged state Republicans to support his candidacy,<ref name="Contro">{{cite web |last1=Gregg |first1=Katherine |title=9-18-2010: Healey was at the center of a similar controversy as a candidate for lieutenant governor |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/2014/09/15/20140915-2010-healey-was-the-center-of-similar-controversy-as-candidate-for-lieutenant-governor-ece/35276505007/ |website=The Providence Journal |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref> and just days after becoming her party's nominee, Republican candidate Heidi Rogers withdrew from the race, citing support for the Cool Moose Party's plans to abolish the position of lieutenant governor.<ref name="Sandra">{{cite web |last1=Lavin |first1=Nancy |title=R.I. Democratic Committee names Lori Urso to fill Pawtucket Sen. Sandro Cano's spot on ballot |url=https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2024/09/13/committee-chooses-lori-urso-to-fill-pawtucket-sen-sandro-canos-spot-on-ballot/ |website=Rhode Island Current |access-date=25 May 2026 |date=13 September 2024}}</ref> Healey finished in second place with 39.2% of the vote, receiving 126,063 votes and winning in ten{{efn| *Barrington *Bristol *Exeter *Foster *Glocester *Little Compton *Richmond *Scituate *Warren *West Greenwich}} of Rhode Island's thirty-nine municipalities.<ref name="RIGov">{{cite web |title=Election Results |url=https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2010/general_election/races/104.html |website=Government of Rhode Island |access-date=25 May 2026}}</ref>
== Platform == The Cool Moose Party was considered to be libertarian,<ref name="Founder"/> and the party's policy platform advocated for reduced government intervention.<ref name=Platform/><ref name="WhyNot"/> ''The Providence Journal'' described the party as "populist at its core", with a focus on fiscal conservatism.<ref name="WhyNot"/>
The party's 1995 policy platform criticized the power of labor unions and supported "minimiz[ing] labor's influence in the Legislature."<ref name=Platform/> The party advocated for the abolishment of the parole system, and suggested decriminalizing victimless crimes.<ref name=Platform/>
Viewing abortion through a libertarian lens, the party argued that because the Constitution of the United States does not explicitly prohibit or permit abortions, the government should maintain a "neutral position" on the issue.<ref name=Platform/> Cool Moose's party platform suggested a one-day waiting period for those seeking reproductive care, as well as the introduction of a mandatory consulting period for minors planning to have an abortion.<ref name=Platform/>
The party supported a voluntary universal health care system, arguing that while the option of universal health care should exist, it should not be mandatory.<ref name=Platform/> They supported assisted dying, and emphasized their belief in "the right to choose one's way of life".<ref name=Platform/>
The Cool Moose Party opposed regressive taxation and were in favor of abolishing local property tax.<ref name=Platform/> The party's 1995 policy platform supported lowering sin taxes and sales taxes, but advocated for the reintroduction of estate tax for high-income earners.<ref name=Platform/>
The party viewed welfare programs in the United States as a "failed policy", and advocated for increased private sector employment and the introduction of time limits for welfare benefits.<ref name=Platform/>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{RhodeIslandPoliticalParties}} {{United States state and local political parties}}
Category:Regional and state political parties in the United States Category:Political parties in Rhode Island Category:Political parties established in 1994 Category:1994 establishments in Rhode Island Category:Populism in the United States