John H. Dorsey

Who is John H. Dorsey?

John H. Dorsey is an American attorney and Republican Party politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature from 1976 to 1994, serving in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1978 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1978 to 1994. Dorsey represented the 23rd Legislative District until 1982 and the 25th Legislative District starting that year in redistricting following the 1980 United States Census.

Dorsey was born on December 26, 1937, in Newark and resided in Boonton Township. In the 1977 elections, Dorsey faced incumbent Democrat Stephen B. Wiley, who had been one of the prime sponsors of the Public School Education Act of 1975, which expanded state aid to public school districts. Dorsey had served in the Assembly on the Taxation Committee and was an opponent of the state income tax bill that Wiley had supported. Wiley's support of the income tax was one of Dorsey's key campaign issues. Dorsey went on to win the Senate seat bya 43.3%-45.7% margin.

After the 1991 elections, with the Republicans taking control of the Senate, Dorsey had hoped to step up from being minority leader but was defeated by Donald DiFrancesco for the post of majority leader.