Hi, I've got a 1980 electric start 35 horse johnson. Sometimes when I turn the key to start it up, it hesitates for a second. It didn't used to do that. Everything I know about motors you could fit in a teacup, so i thought i would ask you folks if I have to have this checked out. It is intermittent now, and the motor starts, but it got my attention when it started this.

a easy thing you could check is the spark plugs.

Being intermittent, it's going to be hard to check.  Most likely candidates are the starter solenoid, slow pulling in, or the contacts in it not making good initial contact.  Could also be the starter brushes not making good contact when you initially ingage the starter.   Could just be the key switch contacts not making good contact.   To isolate the problem without shotgunning parts, you really need to be able to take some voltage readings when it's doing that.