Dooley worked as a rancher and then as an administrative assistant for California State Senator
Rose Ann Vuich from 1987 to 1990.
U.S. House of Representatives In 1990, Dooley won the Democratic primary for what was then the 17th District and faced six-term
Republican Chip Pashayan in November. Although Pashayan had been reelected with 71 percent of the vote in 1988, he was bogged down by the
House banking scandal, and Dooley defeated him by just over 9 points. In 1992, his district was renumbered as the 20th District and drawn as a Latino-majority district. He was easily reelected that year and five more times after that. He faced only one truly serious contest, when Republican Rich Rodriguez managed to hold him to 53 percent of the vote. A "
New Democrat," his voting record was considered moderate, as is typical for Democrats from the
Central Valley. Dooley announced his retirement in 2004 and endorsed his chief of staff, Lisa Quigley, as his successor. However, most of the rest of the state Democratic establishment endorsed
Jim Costa, a former state legislator from the Fresno area. This touched off a contentious primary battle which was won by Costa, all but assuring him of victory in November. On October 10, 2002, Cal Dooley was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the
invasion of Iraq. He has later said that he regrets this vote.
Later career Having served as the president and CEO of the
Food Products Association (FPA), Dooley assumed the same roles at the
Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), following a merger with the FPA. GMA is a Washington-based trade association representing food manufacturers. In September 2008, Dooley assumed the position of CEO of the
American Chemistry Council, the trade association for American chemical companies. He announced his retirement in 2018. == Personal life ==