Jean Moorhead Duffy

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Jean Moorhead Duffy
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 5th district
In office
December 4, 1978 - November 30, 1986
Preceded byEugene T. Gualco
Succeeded byTim Leslie
Personal details
Born
Jean Carol Macpherson

(1938-12-17) December 17, 1938 (age 85)
Oakland, California
Political partyRepublican (before 1981)
Democratic (1981)
Spouse(s)
Ernest L. McElderry
​
​
(m. 1960, divorced)​

George V. Moorhead
​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1984)​

​
(m. 1985)​
Children4, including Lorna Jean Moorhead
EducationUniversity of California
University of Berkeley
Stanford University
San Jose State University[1]

Jean Carol McElderry Moorhead Duffy (née Macpherson; born December 17, 1938) is a former lobbyist[2] and politician from California and a member of the Democratic Party.[3]

Life[edit]

Moorhead was born Jean Carol Macpherson in Oakland, California, on December 17, 1938. She attended public schools in her hometown. She received her bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) in 1961 from Stanford University. She later continued her education at San Jose State University, earning her M.S. in Public Health in 1971. She worked as a public health nurse for Santa Clara County Health Department, then part-time at a clinic for migrant farm workers in southern Santa Clara County, California.[1]

Family[edit]

She married Ernest L. McElderry in 1960. The couple had four children. She was married to George V. Moorhead from 1974 until 1984. In 1985, she married her onetime colleague, former assemblyman Gordon W. Duffy (R-Hanford).[1] They remained married until his death on February 10, 2021.[4]

Political career[edit]

A lobbyist for the California Nurses Association (1976-78),[5] Moorhead was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1978, representing the 5th district in the Sacramento suburbs,[6] and won easy reelection in 1980 (against Democratic Sacramento County Supervisor Ted Sheedy).[7] On February 19, 1981, in the middle of her second term, Moorhead changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat.[5] She then went on to win reelection in 1982 rather comfortably.[8] In 1984, however, Republican lobbyist Tim Leslie[9] came within 1% of beating her. She chose not to seek reelection in 1986 and was succeeded by Leslie.[10]

Electoral history[edit]

Member, California State Assembly: 1979-1987
Year Office Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1978 California State Assembly
District 5 		Ben W. Franklin 35,463 38.2% Jean Moorhead 57,485 61.8%
1980 California State Assembly
District 5 		Ted Sheedy 52,121 40.7% Jean Moorhead 75,998 59.3%
1982 California State Assembly
District 5 		Jean Moorhead 65,522 55.1% Peggy Grenz 48,810 41.1%
1984 California State Assembly
District 5 		Jean Moorhead 70,450 49% Tim Leslie 69,071 48%

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Jean Moorhead Duffy Papers". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jean Moorhead Duffy". joincalifornia.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Profile, womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov. Accessed July 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "JoinCalifornia - Gordon W. Duffy". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  5. ^ a b "JoinCalifornia - Jean Moorhead Duffy". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  6. ^ "JoinCalifornia - 11-07-1978 Election". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  7. ^ "JoinCalifornia - 11-04-1980 Election". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  8. ^ "JoinCalifornia - 11-02-1982 Election". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  9. ^ "JoinCalifornia - Tim Leslie". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  10. ^ "JoinCalifornia - 11-04-1986 Election". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
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