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On November 3, 1964, Cahoon was the only Republican elected to the legislature despite the Johnson landslide. Cahoon lwas the only member of his party in the Texas House. Two Republican [[U.S. Representative]]s, Bruce Reynolds Alger of Dallas and Ed Foreman of [[Odessa, Texas|Odessa]], were unseated by Democratic opponents, Earle Cabell and Richard C. White, respectively. The only Republican n a statewide office at the time was Senator [[John Tower]], of Wichita Falls and later Dallas, whose seat was not contested that year. Tower's first wife, Lou Bullington Tower (1920–2001), coincidentally, was a cousin of Orville Bullington, Cahoon's uncle by marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/tower/tower01.pdf|title=Lyndon Baines Johnson Library Oral History Collection, 1971|publisher=lbjlib.utexas.edu|accessdate=June 11, 2010}}</ref>​

On November 3, 1964, Cahoon was the only Republican elected to the legislature despite the Johnson landslide. Cahoon lwas the only member of his party in the Texas House. Two Republican [[U.S. Representative]]s, Bruce Reynolds Alger of Dallas and Ed Foreman of [[Odessa, Texas|Odessa]], were unseated by Democratic opponents, Earle Cabell and Richard C. White, respectively. The only Republican n a statewide office at the time was Senator [[John Tower]], of Wichita Falls and later Dallas, whose seat was not contested that year. Tower's first wife, Lou Bullington Tower (1920–2001), coincidentally, was a cousin of Orville Bullington, Cahoon's uncle by marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/tower/tower01.pdf|title=Lyndon Baines Johnson Library Oral History Collection, 1971|publisher=lbjlib.utexas.edu|accessdate=June 11, 2010}}</ref>​

 

When the incumbent Republican Representative William S. Davis decided not to run again in 1964,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/membersearch.cfm|title=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: William S. Davis|publisher=Lrl.state.tx.us|accessdate=March 16, 2011}}</ref> Cahoon was asked by party leaders to recruit a candidate. Ultimately, the Midland County GOP leadership urged Cahoon himself to run for the seat. Cahoon won the seat by a margin of 1,500 votes over his Democratic opponent. His legislative desk was placed in the middle of the House floor.<ref name=uta/> Cahoon served from District 77 in his first term and District 70 in the 1967–1969 session. The district is now No. 82. Cahoon was a member of the House Labor, Public Health, and Revenue and Taxation committees in both of his terms.<ref name=legis/>​

When the incumbent Republican Representative William S. Davis decided not to run again in 1964,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/membersearch.cfm|title=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: William S. Davis|publisher=Lrl.state.tx.us|accessdate=March 16, 2011}}</ref> Cahoon was asked by party leaders to recruit a candidate. Ultimately, the Midland County GOP leadership urged Cahoon himself to run for the seat. Cahoon won the seat by a margin of 1,500 votes over his Democratic opponent. His legislative desk was placed in the middle of the House floor.<ref name=uta/> Cahoon served from District 77 in his first term and District 70 in the 1967–1969 session. The district is now No. 82. Cahoon was a member of the House Labor, Public Health, and Revenue and Taxation committees in both of his terms.<ref name=legis/>​

 

In 1972, Cahoon and his legislative successor, [[Tom Craddick]], another Midland energy entrepreneur, encouraged their fellow oilman, [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], to seek the office of mayor of Midland. Incumbent Edwin H. Magruder, Jr., who had an impressive [[World War II]] record, did not seek a third two-year term that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_c89eb33c-102c-5ec1-a0ce-639df8965b95.html#user-comment-area|author=Shanna Sissom|title=Magruder led a charmed life in peace and war|date=January 12, 2011|publisher=Mywesttexas.com|accessdate=March 8, 2011}}</ref> Craddick believed that the leading candidate for mayor, Mayor Pro Tem [[Pat M. Baskin]], a former chairman of the Midland County Democratic Executive Committee, would use the office to try to derail Craddick’s bid for a third term in the state House in the 1972 [[general election]]. Angelo agreed to run for mayor if Cahoon would seek one of the at-large city council seats. The deal was struck, and both Angelo and Cahoon ran and won.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 83.</ref>​

In 1972, Cahoon and his legislative successor, [[Tom Craddick]], another Midland energy entrepreneur, encouraged their fellow oilman, [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], to seek the office of mayor of Midland. Incumbent Edwin H. Magruder, Jr., who had an impressive [[World War II]] record, did not seek a third two-year term that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_c89eb33c-102c-5ec1-a0ce-639df8965b95.html#user-comment-area|author=Shanna Sissom|title=Magruder led a charmed life in peace and war|date=January 12, 2011|publisher=Mywesttexas.com|accessdate=March 8, 2011}}</ref> Craddick believed that the leading candidate for mayor, Mayor Pro Tem [[Pat M. Baskin]], a former chairman of the Midland County Democratic Executive Committee, would use the office to try to derail Craddick’s bid for a third term in the state House in the 1972 [[general election]]. Angelo agreed to run for mayor if Cahoon would seek one of the at-large city council seats. The deal was struck, and both Angelo and Cahoon ran and won.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), p. 83.</ref>​