Rich Bagger
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Richard Hartvig Bagger (born March 27, 1960) is an American Republican Party politician from
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, and former
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
who later served as chief of staff to Governor
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...
.Bagger Will Be Christie's Chief of Staff
Politicker NJ. Accessed December 3, 2009.
He left the Christie administration in early 2012, and is now an Executive Vice President with
Celgene Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, was a pharmaceutical company that produced cancer and immunology drugs. Its primary products were Revlimid (lenalidomide), which is used in the treatment of multiple myeloma (63% of 2018 r ...
. He is a resident of
Westfield, New Jersey Westfield is a Town (New Jersey), town in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 31,032, an increase of 716 (+2.4% ...
.


Life and career

Bagger was born in
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",
. Raised in nearby Westfield, Bagger attended Westfield High School. He received an A.B. in 1982 from the School of Public and International Affairs at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Bagger served as a Planning Board member, Councilman, and
Mayor of Westfield, New Jersey Westfield is a town in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 31,032, an increase of 716 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 30,316, wh ...
during the 1980s and 1990s. He was elected to the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
from the 22nd Legislative District in 1991, succeeding
Chuck Hardwick Charles Leighton Hardwick (November 8, 1941 − February 19, 2025) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician and business leader who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and was a candidate for ...
, his longtime mentor. During his time as an assemblyman, he served as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and was elected to be Majority Conference Leader. In 2000, he declined a race to succeed
Bob Franks Robert Douglas Franks (September 21, 1951 – April 9, 2010) was an American Republican politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey. Early life Franks was born on September 21, 1951, in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of No ...
in
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. In 2001, he was elected to the
New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...
for the 21st Legislative District. He resigned as a
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
in 2003 in order to pursue private business interests and was succeeded by
Thomas Kean Jr. Thomas Howard Kean Jr. ( ; born September 5, 1968) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. He represented New Jersey's 21st legislative district in the New Jersey ...
Bagger remained a political leader in Union County after leaving the legislature. Earlier in his career, Bagger was an Assistant General Counsel to
Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey is the only licensed Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association plan in New Jersey, providing health insurance coverage to over 3.2 million people throughout all of New ...
and practiced law with the firm of
McCarter and English McCarter & English, LLP, is an American full-service law firm headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest law firms in the United States. Besides its Newark headquarters, the firm has offices across the United St ...
. After leaving the Senate, he worked as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy for
Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...
.Richard H. Bagger - NJN Foundation Board of Trustees
, accessed April 13, 2007.
He also was a member of the NJN Foundation Board of Trustees as well as Board Chair of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey and the National Pharmaceutical Council. In December 2009, then-Governor-elect Chris Christie appointed Bagger as his chief of staff. He served in that role until January 2012. Bagger served on the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
Board of Commissioners, having been confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate on June 28, 2012 and remained on the Board until June 2021. He was Chair of the Gateway Program Development Corporation in 2017, served on the Board of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum while a Port Authority Commissioner, and joined the Board of the
Regional Plan Association The Regional Plan Association is an independent, not-for-profit regional planning organization, founded in 1922, that focuses on recommendations to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of a 31-county New York (state), New Yo ...
in 2022. Bagger was Executive Director of the 2016 transition planning team of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, after
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...
endorsed Trump and was named Chair of the planning group. After Christie was dropped by Trump as leader of the transition team in favor of
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, Bagger left the transition team on the same day. In May 2017, Bagger was appointed to the President's Commission on White House Fellowships and served there until 2021. Bagger is also an adjunct faculty member of the Eagleton Institute at
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
, and a Director of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1949, is a voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting blood cancer world-wide. LLS funds blood cancer research on cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin ...
, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.


Election history


References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bagger, Rich 1960 births 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature Chiefs of staff to the governor of New Jersey Living people Mayors of places in New Jersey Lawyers from Union County, New Jersey Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party New Jersey state senators Politicians from Plainfield, New Jersey Politicians from Westfield, New Jersey Rutgers School of Law–Newark alumni Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni Westfield High School (New Jersey) alumni