Bob Dornan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Dornan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Jerry M. Patterson
Succeeded by	Loretta Sanchez
Constituency	38th district (1985–1993) 46th district (1993–1997)
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by	Alphonzo E. Bell Jr.
Succeeded by	Mel Levine
Constituency	27th district
Personal details
Born	Robert Kenneth Dornan (1933-04-03) April 3, 1933 (age 92) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sallie Hansen ​ (m. 1955)​
Children	5
Education	Loyola Marymount University

Robert Kenneth Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is an American politician. He was also an actor, a radio talk show host, and a combat veteran. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Dornan represented parts of Southern California in the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1977 to 1983 and again from 1985 to 1997. In Congress, he was known for his strong conservative views. He also tried to become a U.S. Senator in 1982 and run for President in 1996.

Because of his background in entertainment, Dornan had a dramatic style. This made him well-known, even outside his local district. He became one of the most recognized members of the House of Representatives. He often gave speeches on TV, sharing his opinions.

Early Life and Military Service

Robert Dornan was born in New York City on April 3, 1933. His mother was a performer in vaudeville shows. His father owned a clothing store and later worked in real estate. This family background helped Robert Dornan later in his acting and political careers.

Dornan went to Loyola University of Los Angeles. This school is now called Loyola Marymount University. He studied there from 1950 to 1953.

When he was 19, Dornan joined the United States Air Force. He became a fighter pilot. During his time in the Air Force, he survived two emergency parachute jumps. He also survived two "dead stick" landings, where the plane's engine stops. He was on active duty until 1958 and became a captain. He continued to serve in the California Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve until 1975. Dornan also worked as a journalist and photographer during the Vietnam War. He flew missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. He also flew relief flights to Biafra, a region in Africa.

Career in Entertainment

Before becoming a politician, Robert Dornan worked as an actor. He appeared in several films and TV shows.

Movies and TV Shows

He starred in the movie The Starfighters. In this film, he played an Air Force pilot. This movie was later featured on the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

In 1962, he played Lieutenant Alden in an episode of the TV show Dennis the Menace. He also co-starred in the 1966 film To the Shores of Hell.

Dornan had a regular role as Captain Fowler on the TV series 12 O'Clock High. He also had smaller roles on Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.

Talk Show Host

From 1967 to 1973, Dornan was an award-winning TV talk show host. His shows were called Tempo and The Robert K. Dornan Show. They were broadcast from Los Angeles.

Political Career

Robert Dornan became more involved in politics in 1973. He became a national spokesperson for a group called Citizens for Decency Through Law. He also ran for mayor of Los Angeles that same year, but he did not win.

Serving in Congress

In 1976, Dornan was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 27th congressional district in Los Angeles County. He was re-elected two more times. He was a strong supporter of the B-1 bomber aircraft. Because of this, people started calling him "B-1 Bob."

After the 1980 census, California's congressional districts were redrawn. Dornan's district became much more favorable to the Democratic Party. He decided to run for the United States Senate in 1982 instead. He did not win the Republican primary election.

Dornan then moved to Garden Grove in Orange County. This area was more Republican. In 1984, he was elected to Congress again, this time from the 38th district. He defeated the Democratic representative, Jerry M. Patterson. Dornan won by a good margin, helped by Ronald Reagan's big victory in the presidential election that year. He won re-election four more times and served on the Intelligence Committee.

Key Moments in Congress

In 1985, Dornan had a disagreement with another representative, Thomas Downey. Downey asked Dornan about some comments he had made. Dornan was accused of threatening Downey. Dornan said he was just straightening Downey's tie.

Dornan standing on the ladder of an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during a visit to Torrejon Air Base, Spain, September 20, 1988.

Dornan's political views were very conservative. However, he also supported some causes that might seem different for a conservative. For example, he sponsored laws to protect animals. This earned him recognition from the animal rights group PETA in 1988.

In 1994, during his re-election campaign, Dornan had signs posted at voting places. These signs warned voters in Spanish that they might need to prove their citizenship to vote. Some people believed these signs discouraged Latino voters.

In 1995, the House of Representatives gave Dornan a minor warning. This was because he said in a speech that President Bill Clinton had "given aid and comfort to the enemy" during the Vietnam War.

Presidential Campaign and Re-election Defeat

Dornan ran for president of the United States in 1996. He was not a leading candidate. In a debate, he made strong comments about President Clinton. Later, he dropped out of the presidential race. He decided to run for re-election to his seat in the House instead.

Dornan ran for president in 1996

He was defeated by Democrat Loretta Sanchez by a very small number of votes. After his defeat, Dornan claimed that illegal votes from non-U.S. citizens had helped Sanchez win. The House of Representatives investigated for 13 months. They found some illegal votes, but not enough to change the election result. Sanchez was allowed to keep her seat.

In 1997, while the election was still being looked into, Dornan had another confrontation. He called Representative Bob Menendez an "anti-Catholic coward." This led to a vote to prevent Dornan from being on the House floor until the election issue was settled.

Later Political Activities

Dornan ran against Loretta Sanchez again in 1998, but he was defeated once more.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dornan hosted a national radio talk show called The Bob Dornan Show.

In 2004, Dornan challenged another Republican, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, in a primary election. Dornan accused Rohrabacher of being too soft on terrorism. However, Dornan lost this election.

In 2005, Dornan briefly considered running for a vacant congressional seat. He thought about running as a candidate for the American Independent Party. However, he did not end up running.

Personal Life

In 1955, Robert Dornan married Sallie Hansen. They have five children together.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles