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Dunn was a delegate to the 1968 [[Republican National Convention]] and supported eventual nominee [[Richard Nixon]], who carried Tennessee three times.<ref name=tehc/>

Dunn was a delegate to the 1968 [[Republican National Convention]] and supported eventual nominee [[Richard Nixon]], who carried Tennessee three times.<ref name=tehc/>

==Governor==

===As Governor===

{In 1970, Dunn sought the Republican nomination for governor. His opponents for the nomination included state House Speaker and later [[U.S. Representative]] William Lewis Jenkins (born 1936), industrialist Maxey Jarman of [[Nashville]], [[Knoxville]] attorney and the former chair of the state party Claude K. Robertson (born 1932; deceased), and the 1962 gubernatorial nominee, Hubert David Patty (1927-2002). Boosted in part by a large turnout in his populous home county of Shelby, Dunn won the nomination, edging his nearest opponent, Jarman, by ten thousand votes.<ref name=langsdon /> In the general election, he defeated the Democrat John Jay Hooker, Jr. (1930-2016), a Nashville attorney.

In 1970, Dunn sought the Republican nomination for governor. His opponents for the nomination included state House Speaker and later [[U.S. Representative]] William Lewis Jenkins (born 1936), industrialist Walton Maxey Jarman (1904-1980) of [[Nashville]], the [[Knoxville]] attorney and the former chair of the state party Claude K. Robertson (born 1932; deceased), and the 1962 gubernatorial nominee, Hubert David Patty (1927-2002). Boosted in part by a large turnout in his populous home county of Shelby, Dunn won the nomination, having led his nearest opponent, Jarman, by ten thousand votes.<ref name=langsdon/> In the general election, he defeated the Democrat John Jay Hooker, Jr. (1930-2016), a Nashville attorney.

Even before Dunn's election, the Tennessee GOP had flexed its muscle in 1966, when [[Howard Baker]], the son-in-law of Senate Republican Leader [[Everett Dirksen]], ran for the U.S. Senate against Governor Frank Goad Clement (1920-1969).  In 1968, Nixon carried the state over [Hubert Humphrey]] and [[George Wallace]], Republicans won control of the state House of Representatives, and Republican Dan Heflin Kuykendall (1924-2008) was elected to the Memphis-based 9th congressional district seat, the first Republican to hold the post since 1872.<ref name=langsdon/>  With future federal judge Harry Walker Wellford (1924-2021) and future Governor and U.S. Senator [[Lamar Alexander]] steering his campaign, Dunn defeated Hooker, 557,024 votes to 498,757.<ref name=langsdon/><ref name=dries>Bill Dries, "Dunn's Book Details GOP Comeback in Tennessee," ''Memphis Daily News,'' accessed December 30, 2012.</ref>

Even before Dunn's election, the Tennessee GOP had flexed its muscle in 1966, when [[Howard Baker]], the son-in-law of Senate Republican Leader [[Everett Dirksen]], ran for the U.S. Senate against Governor Frank Goad Clement (1920-1969).  In 1968, Nixon carried the state over [Hubert Humphrey]] and [[George Wallace]], Republicans won control of the state House of Representatives, and Republican Dan Heflin Kuykendall (1924-2008) was elected to the Memphis-based 9th congressional district seat, the first Republican to hold the post since 1872.<ref name=langsdon/>  With future federal judge Harry Walker Wellford (1924-2021) and future Governor and U.S. Senator [[Lamar Alexander]] steering his campaign, Dunn defeated Hooker, 557,024 votes to 498,757.<ref name=langsdon/><ref name=dries>Bill Dries, "Dunn's Book Details GOP Comeback in Tennessee," ''Memphis Daily News,'' accessed December 30, 2012.</ref>

Upon taking office, Dunn sought to unify the state, and offered state appointments to both Republicans and Democrats. the Democrats, in control of both state legislative houses,  were initially uncooperative, with House Speaker James R. McKinney and Lieutenant Governor John Shelton Wilder (1921-2010), tried to thwart his legislative agenda.<ref>Rodney Stanley and P. Edward French, "John Wilder: The Longest Tenured State Legislator in Tennessee History''  (University Press of America, 2007), p. 105.</ref> In 1972, Ned McWherter was elected House speaker, and proved more open to cooperation with the Republican governor. Coincidentally, fourteen years later McWherter defeated Dunn's comeback attempt for governor.<ref name=langsdon />

Upon taking office, Dunn sought to unify the state, and offered state appointments to both Republicans and Democrats. the Democrats, in control of both state legislative houses,  were initially uncooperative, with House Speaker James R. McKinney and Lieutenant Governor John Shelton Wilder (1921-2010), tried to thwart his legislative agenda.<ref>Rodney Stanley and P. Edward French, "John Wilder: The Longest Tenured State Legislator in Tennessee History''  (University Press of America, 2007), p. 105.</ref> In 1972, Ned McWherter was elected House speaker, and proved more open to cooperation with the Republican governor. Coincidentally, fourteen years later McWherter defeated Dunn's comeback attempt for governor.<ref name=langsdon/>

Under Dunn, the state increased the sales tax by 0.6 percent, which provided funds for more highway construction and to permit pay raises to state employees. He also created the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of General Services, since the Department of Personnel in an attempt to enhance efficiency in the hiring of state workers.<ref name=tehc /> Dunn supported the state's ratification of the [[Twenty-Sixth Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], which in 1971 lowered the national voting age to eighteen.<ref>Margaret Phillips, ''The Governors of Tennessee, (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company, 2001), pp. 170-175.</ref>

Under Dunn, the state increased the sales tax by 0.6 percent, which provided funds for more highway construction and to permit pay raises to state employees. He also created the Department of Economic and Community Development and the Department of General Services, since the Department of Personnel in an attempt to enhance efficiency in the hiring of state workers.<ref name=tehc /> Dunn supported the state's ratification of the [[Twenty-Sixth Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]], which in 1971 lowered the national voting age to eighteen.<ref>Margaret Phillips, ''The Governors of Tennessee, (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company, 2001), pp. 170-175.</ref>

In November 1973, Dunn hosted the Republican Governors Conference in Memphis, where President Nixon sought to reassure the governors present that the [[Watergate scandal]] would not hurt the party in the 1974 mid-term elections. In his 2007 book, ''From a Standing Start,'' Dunn recalled his "shock" and "disappointment" when the next evening  the 18-and-half minute gap in the Nixon White House tapes was revealed.<ref name=dries />

In November 1973, Dunn hosted the Republican Governors Conference in Memphis, where President Nixon sought to reassure the governors present that the [[Watergate scandal]] would not hurt the party in the 1974 mid-term elections. In his 2007 book, ''From a Standing Start,'' Dunn recalled his "shock" and "disappointment" when the next evening  the 18-and-half minute gap in the Nixon White House tapes was revealed.<ref name=dries/>

==Later years==

==Later years==