Bob Hugin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Hugin
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| Chair of the New Jersey Republican Party | |
| In office June 15, 2021 – July 9, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Michael B. Lavery |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Paulsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert John Hugin
July 23, 1954 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathy Hugin |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) University of Virginia (MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1976–1983 (active) 1983–1990 (reserve) |
Robert John Hugin (born July 23, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He is known for being the former head of Celgene, a company that makes medicines. Hugin was the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2018, but he was defeated by the Democratic senator Bob Menendez.
In 2021, Hugin became the chairman of the New Jersey Republican Party. This happened after Jack Ciattarelli, who won the Republican primary election for governor, chose Hugin to lead the party. It is a tradition for the person running for governor to pick the party's leader.
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Early Life and Education
Bob Hugin grew up in Union City, New Jersey. He was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned a full scholarship to Princeton University. In 1976, he received his first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts.
After college, Hugin joined the United States Marine Corps. He served as an active duty officer from 1976 to 1983. Later, in 1985, he earned another degree. This was a master's degree in business administration from the University of Virginia.
Business Career
From 1985 to 1999, Hugin worked for the financial company J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc., where he became a managing director.
In 1999, Hugin joined a biopharmaceutical company called Celgene. A biopharmaceutical company uses living organisms, like cells, to create medicines. When he joined, Celgene was a small company with money problems. Hugin helped turn the company around and make it very successful. He became the company's CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, Celgene grew from a small company into a major corporation with thousands of employees.
During Hugin's time as leader, Celgene faced challenges from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is the government agency that makes sure food and medicines are safe. The company was also criticized because the price of one of its important medicines, Revlimid, increased a lot over the years.
In 2013, Hugin was named the best CEO in the biotechnology industry by a financial news website. He stepped down as CEO in 2017 but stayed on as the executive chairman.
2018 U.S. Senate Election
In February 2018, Bob Hugin announced he was running for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey. He spent a lot of his own money on his campaign. He won the Republican primary election, which is an election to decide who will be the party's main candidate.
On Election Day, President Donald Trump showed his support for Hugin on Twitter. However, Hugin lost the election to the current senator, Democrat Bob Menendez.
Political Views
When Hugin ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018, he said he was a "different kind of Republican." He described himself as "moderate" and "independent."
Healthcare Ideas
Hugin supports keeping some parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This law is also known as Obamacare. He also wants to limit how much people have to pay for medical costs, including for prescription medicines.
Immigration Views
Hugin did not agree with the Trump administration family separation policy. He has said he supports a way for some undocumented immigrants to become citizens.
Tax Policies
Hugin considers himself a fiscal conservative. This means he generally opposes tax increases. He supports making individual tax cuts permanent. He also thinks the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions is too low.
Relationship with Donald Trump
Hugin supported Donald Trump when he ran for president. In 2016, Hugin helped Trump's campaign in New Jersey. He also donated money to help Trump get elected. Hugin was a delegate who supported Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. However, he has also said that some of Trump's policies have hurt businesses.
Personal Life
Bob Hugin is married to Kathy Hugin, and they have three children. He is a member of the United Methodist Church.
