[1] After serving with the Peace Corps in Africa in 1971, Dalton taught and coached for the two subsequent years at a school in Williamstown, before a two-year stint at the Department of Labor and Industry.
Dalton had been involved in Florio's bid against Republican John E. Hunt in 1972 for a seat representing New Jersey's 1st congressional district, losing as part of the landslide election of President Richard Nixon.
He moved to Maryland and worked typing replies to constituent correspondence and attending subcommittee meetings related to Florio's service on the Commerce Committee, gaining what he later called "the greatest education I've ever had".
[8] During his single term in the Assembly, Dalton focused on environmental legislation, sponsoring bills that established statewide requirements for recycling and dealing with issues related to the many landfills in the district.
[1] Dalton was chosen to be the majority leader in 1990 and was tasked with leading the enactment of several initiatives pushed by Governor Florio, including the creation of the Joint Underwriting Association, an insurance pool for high-risk drivers that ended up insuring a significant portion of all New Jersey drivers, passage of the Quality Education Act, which increased school aid for students in urban districts, as well as income tax increases and an assault weapons ban.