William L "Bill" Gormley was born on May 2,1946 and is an American attorney and Republican Party politician whose career in New Jersey's state Legislature spanned four decades.
14 Facts About William Gormley
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William Gormley served as a member of the state Senate from 1982 to 2007, a length of tenure unmatched in Atlantic County since state Sen.
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William Gormley chose not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2007.
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William Gormley served in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1975 with the rank of captain.
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William Gormley was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1977.
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In 1981, William Gormley was the most vocal member of a small group of Republican lawmakers who aligned with Democrats to pass legislation that eliminated the practice of awarding favorable ballot positions to candidates endorsed by county political organizations.
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In 1990, William Gormley cast the only Republican vote for then Gov.
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In 1991, after suing the governor of New Jersey to protect the rights of coastal homeowners, William Gormley wrote and secured passage for a constitutional amendment that defined and delineated the rights of property owners who held riparian lands.
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In 1992, William Gormley wrote a constitutional amendment that shifted the cost for the operation of the county court system to the state, creating a more coordinated and modern justice system.
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The nine days of hearings chaired by William Gormley ultimately led to the enactment of reform legislation to eradicate the practice of racial profiling, including the creation of a system of oversight and monitoring to maintain integrity in law enforcement practices.
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William Gormley ran for governor in 1989, the US House of Representatives in 1994 and the US Senate in 2000, when he lost to Bob Franks by 3,700 votes.
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William Gormley has been active in a number of philanthropic efforts and charitable projects in the Atlantic City region, benefitting organizations such as the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Sisters of Christian Charity.
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On Oct 21,2021, William Gormley received the Gregor Mendel Medal, the highest honor bestowed by his alma mater, St Augustine Preparatory School, for his many innovative charitable contributions to his community.
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William Gormley is currently a partner in the law firm of DLA Piper.