Jean Moorhead Duffy

Jean Moorhead Duffy
Member of the California State Assembly from the 5th district
In office December 4, 1978 - November 30, 1986
Preceded by	Eugene T. Gualco
Succeeded by	Tim Leslie
Personal details
Born	Jean Carol Macpherson (1938-12-17) December 17, 1938 Oakland, California
Political party	Republican (before 1981) Democratic (1981)
Spouse(s)	Ernest L. McElderry ​ ​ (m. 1960, divorced)​ George V. Moorhead ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1984)​ Gordon W. Duffy ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	4, including Lorna Jean Moorhead
Education	University of California University of Berkeley Stanford University San Jose State University

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

Life

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.

Family

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). They remained married until his death on February 10, 2021.

Political career

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

Electoral history

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%