Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dorff graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School, where he met his future wife, Donna.
[2] After graduating from high school, Dorff worked as a sheet metal worker before becoming a supervisor in the facilities and equipment department of the American Motors Corporation plant in Kenosha.
He narrowly won the Democratic Primary in September, but fell far short of defeating the incumbent, Republican Russell A. Olson of Randall, in the general election.
Dorff now resided in the 65th assembly district, composed of just the southern part of the city of Kenosha and the neighboring town of Pleasant Prairie.
After redistricting, Dorff went on to win re-election five times in his new district with relative ease before retiring at the end of his sixth term.
[2] Dorff returned to local politics in 1984, unseating incumbent alderman Jesse Kolmos in the April 1984 city election.