During his political career, Dornan became known for his controversial or offensive statements. Among his remarks:
During a House debate in 1994, Dornan outed fellow Republican representative Steve Gunderson, accusing him of having a "revolving door on his closet."
In a 1986 U.S. House speech, he called Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner a "disloyal, betraying little Jew who sits there on television claiming that he is somehow or other a newsman." This was the only statement Dornan apologized for, saying, "That's the only thing in my life I ever lost sleep over". Dornan also said that he intended "to say 'Judas,' not 'Jew,'" as a rebuttal to Posner's insistence that the Soviet Union was free of anti-Semitism.
"Every lesbian spear chucker in this country is hoping I get defeated." to a Los Angeles television reporter in 1992 regarding a female challenger in the primary election.
On a January 28, 1994 appearance on Politically Incorrect, Dornan declared it was "The Year of the Penis" due to recent events in the news. This was a joke in regard to the 1992 media and political reference as that election being referred to as "The Year of the Woman", when 4 women won election to the United States Senate.
"You are a slimy coward. Go register in another party." to Orange County (CA) Republican Central Committee member William Dougherty after he supported Dornan's opponent in 1996.
