He founded Dodd Enterprises, operating two cocktail lounges, a restaurant, and a travel agency, based out of West Orange.
In the Assembly Dodd served on the Labor Relations, Banking and Insurance, and Public Safety, Defense, and Veteran's Affairs Committees.
[3] In the 1977 Democratic primary for the Senate seat, Dodd faced opposition from Assemblyman Eldridge Hawkins and tennis star Althea Gibson, who was serving as state Athletic Commissioner.
[4] The 1981 Democratic primary included a crowded field of 13 candidates, led by U.S. Representative James Florio, U.S. Representative Robert A. Roe, Newark Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson, Senate President Joseph P. Merlino, Attorney General John J. Degnan, and Jersey City Mayor Thomas F. X. Smith.
[7] Dodd later competed as a sport fisherman, participating in billfish tournaments in Key West and the Turks and Caicos Islands.