Francis J. Gorman Explained

Francis J. Gorman
Party:Democrat
State Assembly:New Jersey
District:3B
Predecessor:Thomas J. Shusted
James M. Turner
Alongside:Kenneth A. Gewertz
Successor:Eliminated
Term Start:January 11, 1972
Term End:January 8, 1974
State Assembly1:New Jersey
District1:4th
Predecessor1:Newly created
Alongside1:Kenneth A. Gewertz
Successor1:Daniel J. Dalton
Dennis L. Riley
Term Start1:January 8, 1974
Term End1:January 8, 1980
State Assembly2:New Jersey
District2:5th
Predecessor2:Walter Rand
Ernest F. Schuck
Alongside2:Wayne R. Bryant
Successor2:Joseph J. Roberts
Term Start2:January 12, 1982
Term End2:March 16, 1987 (resigned)
Birth Date:19 November 1924
Birth Place:Gloucester City, New Jersey
Residence:Gloucester City, New Jersey
Education:La Salle University

Francis J. Gorman (November 19, 1924 — July 8, 1987) was an American Democratic Party politician who served seven terms in the New Jersey General Assembly.

Born on November 19, 1924, in Gloucester City, New Jersey, Gorman graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School in 1942.[1] Gorman served in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Gorman graduated from La Salle College in 1949. From 1953 to 1957, Gorman served on the Gloucester City Council. Then he served as the Gloucester City treasurer and as the custodian of funds for the Gloucester City Public Schools.

Gorman served with Kenneth A. Gewertz from 1972 to 1974 representing District 3B in the New Jersey General Assembly. When the New Jersey Legislature was reorganized into its current structure of 40 districts, Gorman and Gewertz were elected to three terms representing the 4th Legislative District from 1974 to 1980. In 1979, James Florio, then a Congressman, encouraged Daniel Dalton and Dennis L. Riley to run in the June primary under the label of the "Florio Democratic Team" against incumbents Gewertz and Gorman, who had the support of Angelo Errichetti and the Camden County Democratic Organization.[2] Dalton (with 31.3% of the vote) and Riley (with 28.3%) won the two ballot spots in the primary balloting.[3] Dalton and Riley were elected in the November 1979 general election.

He was elected together with Wayne R. Bryant and represented the 5th Legislative District from 1982 until March 16, 1987, when Gorman resigned from the New Jersey General Assembly because of poor health. In a July 1987 special election, Joseph J. Roberts was chosen to fill Gorman's vacant seat.

He died at a hospital in Gloucester City, New Jersey.[4] [5]

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=FyhMAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Francis+J.+Gorman%22+%22Gloucester+City%22+%22la+salle%22 Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 196, Part 2
  2. Staff. "County Voters Shun Primary - Heavily", Asbury Park Press, June 6, 1979. Accessed January 20, 2022. "Elsewhere in the state, candidates running on a ticket fielded by Florio won the Democratic nominations in two Camden County Assembly districts over an opposing ticket backed by Errichetti.... Four-term Assemblymen Kenneth Gewertz and Francis Gorman were upset by Florio's team of Daniel Dalton and Dennis Riley in the fourth district, which takes in parts of Gloucester and Burlington counties as well as part of Camden."
  3. https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1920-1970//1979-primary-election.pdf#page=4 Results of the Primary Election Held on June 5, 1979
  4. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=117009 Our Campaigns.com.-Francis J. Gorman
  5. Maykuth, Andrew. "Francis Gorman, 62, Assemblyman and Gloucester City Finance Chief", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 10, 1987. Accessed January 20, 2022, via Newspapers.com.