Researching John Rafferty

Rafferty was previously the party's candidate in Thunder Bay—Superior North for the 2000 federal election, in Thunder Bay—Rainy River for the 2004 and 2006 federal elections, and in Thunder Bay—Atikokan in the 2003 and 2007 provincial elections. Provincially, he lost to incumbent MPP Bill Mauro by a margin of just 50 votes in 2007.

Rafferty was born in Wingham, Ontario. He worked as a radio broadcaster for CKPR in Thunder Bay before leaving to pursue his first election campaign. He subsequently launched his own business producing voiceovers for educational and training videos.

Rafferty introduced one piece of legislation: the National Strategy for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Act. He first introduced it on September 30, 2010, in the third session of the 40th Parliament as a private member's bill. He re-introduced it in June 2011, during the first session of the 41st Parliament.

He was slated to represent the Ontario New Democratic Party in the 2018 Ontario provincial election campaign, but withdrew in January 2018 due to ill health. He died on June 30, 2019 from cancer, at the age of 65, three days before his 66th birthday.

Rafferty was born in Woodbury, N. J., December 29, 1816. His father, the Rev. William Rafferty, D.D., was born in Ireland, educated at Glasgow, removed to America, married Miss Chandler, of Orange County, N. J., lived for a time in Woodbury, and was principal of St. John's College, Annapolis, Md., from 1824 until his death in 1831.

John Rafferty graduated from Yale College in 1835. After graduation, he attended lectures in the Harvard Law School, and continued his preparation in the office of O.W. Ogden, Esq., New York City, where he was admitted to the bar in 1838. In 1841, he married Laura E. Ogden, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. From the time of his marriageuntil 1862, he resided near Germantown, and during this period held for three years the office of New York State Senator; in 1860 he was elected Secretary of the Senate, and was one of the delegates at large to the memorable convention at Charleston.

In 1862 he removed to Flemington, N.J. In 1863 he was admitted counsellor, and was appointed by Gov. Joel Parker the military agent for New Jersey; this position he occupied for three years at Washington. In 1867 he was elected to the office of County Superintendent of Schools. In 1872 he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Court of Common Pleas, and in 1877 was made Prosecutor of the Pleas.

On the evening of December 30, 1880, he was without warning stricken by paralysis. He did not return to consciousness, but died early the next morning. His wife died in 1864; one daughter and two sons survived their parents.