Doug Forrester
Encyclopedia
Douglas Forrester is an American
businessman in New Jersey
. He was the 2002
Republican
nominee for New Jersey
U.S. Senator and the 2005
Republican
nominee for Governor of New Jersey
. Forrester was defeated by his two Democratic opponents, Frank Lautenberg
and then-U.S. Senator
Jon Corzine
, respectively. Forrester currently serves as the president of Integrity Health, a health benefits management firm.
, but worked his way through the ranks at Lockheed Martin
, while his mother died when he was four. His father remarried.
Forrester excelled in water polo
at high school in Santa Clara, California
. He studied at Harvard, from which he graduated cum laude in 1975, having studied philosophy
and government
.
Forrester then moved to New Jersey to study at the Princeton Theological Seminary
, where he earned a master's degree
in divinity
. He then married childhood friend Andrea Howard, and moved to West Windsor
.
Administration, and later went on to direct the pension
system for state employees. In 1990, Forrester founded BeneCard Services, Inc., a pharmacy benefits management firm that provides prescription drug
coverage primarily to public sector entities. In a financial disclosure statement in 2002, Forrester reported his 51 percent share in the company to be worth over $50,000,000. In 2003, Forrester started Heartland Fidelity with Robert Ullman, his partner in BeneCard.
in 2002 with the endorsement of President
George W. Bush
. Forrester's original opponent, Robert Torricelli
, abandoned his re-election bid under accusations of accepting improper "gifts". While he was never prosecuted, Torricelli withdrew after he fell far behind in the polls due to an admonishment by the Senate.
In the case of The New Jersey Democratic Party v. Samson, 175 N.J. 178 (2002), Forrester sued to stop Democratic Party
efforts to have Frank Lautenberg
replace Torricelli. Forrester argued that the state statute generally forbidding the replacement of a candidate on the ballot within 51 days of an election (N.J.S.A. 19:13-20) should be obeyed because "here, there are really no extraordinary facts" such as "death and incapacitation". Furthermore, Torricelli was only withdrawing from the race, not his current Senate seat. The Democrats argued that there was still time to notify all the absentee voters and Torricelli had the right to withdraw. The County Clerks agreed that a substitution was logistically possible if it occurred immediately but might cost up to $800,000.
During arguments, the New Jersey Supreme Court
justices questioned whether this precedent would be abused in the future. Justice James R. Zazzali
asked, "Will there be a parade of candidates removed at the whim of party leaders because the candidate is collapsing?" The justices expressed concern for absentee voters and the public interest in having an optimal choice of candidates.
Ultimately, the justices ruled unanimously to allow the ballot replacement. Peter Verniero
, a Republican appointed by Christine Todd Whitman
, wrote that the statute in question "does not preclude the possibility of a vacancy occurring within 51 days of the election." He also wrote, "We see what advantage this has for Mr. Forrester; we fail to see what advantage this has for the people of New Jersey." In deciding to interpret the deadline as it did, the Court cited Kilmurray v. Gilbert, 10 N.J. 435 (1952) and Catania v. Haberle, 123 N.J. 438. The Democrats were ordered to cover the extra costs incurred to the state.
Three weeks later, Forrester was defeated by Lautenberg 54-44 percent.
, Forrester was being asked to run for Governor in autumn 2004. He initially decided to take care of his daughter Briana, who had suffered a brain hemorrhage and been diagnosed with cancer
. That November, however, she encouraged him to run. (As of April 2005, her cancer is in remission).
On November 23, 2004, Forrester formally announced his gubernatorial candidacy at Washington Crossing State Park
. He announced that he would not accept public funding for his campaign. His primary competitor in the primaries was Bret Schundler
, a former gubernatorial candidate and former Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey
. After vote counting problems in Bergen County, a swing county in the primary election, Forrester broke even as planned with Schundler, giving him a 36-31 percent statewide victory over Schundler, setting Forrester up for his race against Democratic Party
candidate and US Senator Jon Corzine
.
New Jersey law has prohibited insurance companies, or people with a majority interest in one, from making political donations. Forrester's campaign was substantially funded by donations from himself, leading to claims that Forrester was in violation of these regulations. Forrester contended that because Heartland Insurance had been incorporated in Washington, D.C.
, it was not covered by the restrictions. Acting Banking and Insurance Commissioner Donald Bryan
, who had been reappointed by Democratic Governor Jim McGreevey
, issued an opinion in August 2005 stating that Forrester had not broken the law.
On November 8, with 83 percent of the districts reporting, Forrester conceded the election to Sen. Jon Corzine
.
Integrity Health uses a program to update members on the status of their health and remind them when it is time to get necessary tests, screenings, and check-ups. The focus on preventive care helps to control costs.
The company proposes to streamline the healthcare billing and claims resolution process, while providing a detailed reporting of how healthcare dollars are spent.
Forrester founded the Princeton, New Jersey
firm after his daughter experienced a traumatic brain injury.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He was the 2002
United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2002
The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli decided to retire. Democrat Frank Lautenberg won the open seat.- Campaign :...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
U.S. Senator and the 2005
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2005
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2005 was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.The primary...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
. Forrester was defeated by his two Democratic opponents, Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
and then-U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, respectively. Forrester currently serves as the president of Integrity Health, a health benefits management firm.
Early life
Forrester is the youngest of five children. His father never graduated from high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, but worked his way through the ranks at Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, while his mother died when he was four. His father remarried.
Forrester excelled in water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
at high school in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. He studied at Harvard, from which he graduated cum laude in 1975, having studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
.
Forrester then moved to New Jersey to study at the Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, where he earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
. He then married childhood friend Andrea Howard, and moved to West Windsor
West Windsor Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of Census 2010, West Windsor had a population of 27,165. The median age was 39.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 54.9% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 37.7% Asian, 1.0% some other race and 2.6% reporting two or more races...
.
Early career moves
Forrester was elected as a township committeeman in West Windsor, and later as mayor. In the 1980s, Forrester became Assistant State Treasurer in the KeanThomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
Administration, and later went on to direct the pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
system for state employees. In 1990, Forrester founded BeneCard Services, Inc., a pharmacy benefits management firm that provides prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
coverage primarily to public sector entities. In a financial disclosure statement in 2002, Forrester reported his 51 percent share in the company to be worth over $50,000,000. In 2003, Forrester started Heartland Fidelity with Robert Ullman, his partner in BeneCard.
2002 Race for U.S. Senate
Forrester ran for the United States SenateUnited States Senate election in New Jersey, 2002
The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli decided to retire. Democrat Frank Lautenberg won the open seat.- Campaign :...
in 2002 with the endorsement of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Forrester's original opponent, Robert Torricelli
Robert Torricelli
Robert Guy Torricelli , nicknamed "the Torch," is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Torricelli, a Democrat, served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate...
, abandoned his re-election bid under accusations of accepting improper "gifts". While he was never prosecuted, Torricelli withdrew after he fell far behind in the polls due to an admonishment by the Senate.
In the case of The New Jersey Democratic Party v. Samson, 175 N.J. 178 (2002), Forrester sued to stop Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
efforts to have Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
replace Torricelli. Forrester argued that the state statute generally forbidding the replacement of a candidate on the ballot within 51 days of an election (N.J.S.A. 19:13-20) should be obeyed because "here, there are really no extraordinary facts" such as "death and incapacitation". Furthermore, Torricelli was only withdrawing from the race, not his current Senate seat. The Democrats argued that there was still time to notify all the absentee voters and Torricelli had the right to withdraw. The County Clerks agreed that a substitution was logistically possible if it occurred immediately but might cost up to $800,000.
During arguments, the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
justices questioned whether this precedent would be abused in the future. Justice James R. Zazzali
James R. Zazzali
James Ronald Zazzali was the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from October 26, 2006 until his retirement on June 17, 2007. He previously served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court from June 14, 2000.-Biography:...
asked, "Will there be a parade of candidates removed at the whim of party leaders because the candidate is collapsing?" The justices expressed concern for absentee voters and the public interest in having an optimal choice of candidates.
Ultimately, the justices ruled unanimously to allow the ballot replacement. Peter Verniero
Peter Verniero
Peter Verniero is a former Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and a former New Jersey Attorney General. He presently is an attorney in private practice in New Jersey-Biography:...
, a Republican appointed by Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
, wrote that the statute in question "does not preclude the possibility of a vacancy occurring within 51 days of the election." He also wrote, "We see what advantage this has for Mr. Forrester; we fail to see what advantage this has for the people of New Jersey." In deciding to interpret the deadline as it did, the Court cited Kilmurray v. Gilbert, 10 N.J. 435 (1952) and Catania v. Haberle, 123 N.J. 438. The Democrats were ordered to cover the extra costs incurred to the state.
Three weeks later, Forrester was defeated by Lautenberg 54-44 percent.
2005 Race for Governor
According to the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Forrester was being asked to run for Governor in autumn 2004. He initially decided to take care of his daughter Briana, who had suffered a brain hemorrhage and been diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. That November, however, she encouraged him to run. (As of April 2005, her cancer is in remission).
On November 23, 2004, Forrester formally announced his gubernatorial candidacy at Washington Crossing State Park
Washington Crossing State Park
Washington Crossing State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of Washington's Crossing, a U.S. National Historic Landmark area. It is located in the Titusville section of Hopewell Township in Mercer County, north of Trenton along the Delaware River...
. He announced that he would not accept public funding for his campaign. His primary competitor in the primaries was Bret Schundler
Bret Schundler
Bret D. Schundler is an American politician from New Jersey. He served in the Cabinet of Governor Chris Christie as New Jersey Commissioner of Education until he was dismissed on August 27, 2010....
, a former gubernatorial candidate and former Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. After vote counting problems in Bergen County, a swing county in the primary election, Forrester broke even as planned with Schundler, giving him a 36-31 percent statewide victory over Schundler, setting Forrester up for his race against Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate and US Senator Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
.
New Jersey law has prohibited insurance companies, or people with a majority interest in one, from making political donations. Forrester's campaign was substantially funded by donations from himself, leading to claims that Forrester was in violation of these regulations. Forrester contended that because Heartland Insurance had been incorporated in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, it was not covered by the restrictions. Acting Banking and Insurance Commissioner Donald Bryan
Donald Bryan
Donald Bryan is the former Acting Commissioner of Banking and Insurance in New Jersey. A career employee of his department, served as Director of the Division of Insurance from 1999 to 2006, where he served two separate stints as acting commissioner....
, who had been reappointed by Democratic Governor Jim McGreevey
Jim McGreevey
James Edward "Jim" McGreevey is an American Democratic politician. He served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from January 15, 2002, until he resigned from office at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2004. His term was set to expire on January 17, 2006...
, issued an opinion in August 2005 stating that Forrester had not broken the law.
On November 8, with 83 percent of the districts reporting, Forrester conceded the election to Sen. Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
.
Electoral history
Integrity Health
Forrester currently serves as president of Integrity Health, a health benefits management firm that focuses on early prevention and claims transparency. The firm provides health benefit programs for public and private sector employees, including school districts and municipalities.Integrity Health uses a program to update members on the status of their health and remind them when it is time to get necessary tests, screenings, and check-ups. The focus on preventive care helps to control costs.
The company proposes to streamline the healthcare billing and claims resolution process, while providing a detailed reporting of how healthcare dollars are spent.
Forrester founded the Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
firm after his daughter experienced a traumatic brain injury.
Sources
- "Democrats score big". (Nov. 10, 2005). New Straits TimesNew Straits TimesThe New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
, p. 29. - Newmarker, Chris (Nov. 5, 2005). "N.J. Governor's Race Hits New Lows". Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. - "Ex-hopeful for governor starts health benefits firm". (Oct. 18, 2008). "Ex-hopeful for governor starts health benefits firm". Bergen Record.