Over the years Dvornik developed a close friendship with Antun Vrdoljak. He talked him into getting involved in politics and in the 1992 parliamentary election, Dvornik, as candidate of Croatian Democratic Union, was elected in the Split constituency. He soon realized that he had not the taste for politics and resigned his seat one month later. In more recent years, his career was affected by aftermath of a stroke and alcohol abuse, which manifested in a series of incidents, the most notorious being assault on a poll observer during the 2005 presidential election.