Winfield Dunn, who in 1971 became the state’s first Republican governor in half a century, died on Saturday. He was 97.
Though Dunn only served one term, he remained a stalwart of the Tennessee GOP over his lifetime, ushering in an era of increasing Republican success after decades of Democratic control in the state.
At the request of the Dunn family, Gov. Bill Lee’s office announced Dunn’s death late Saturday.
“Governor Winfield Dunn was, simply put, a genuine statesman,” Lee said in a statement. “He was a true servant of the people of Tennessee. He led with principled integrity, a strong faith, and a gracious love for others. Our state is a better place because of his service and leadership. Maria and I join all Tennesseans in honoring Governor Dunn’s life, and we pray for Betty and the Dunn family in the days ahead.”
Trained as a dentist, Dunn dove into Tennessee politics as relative novice among a slate of Republicans testing the waters in the early and mid-1960s as state political winds shifted. He first won the Shelby County Republican Party chairmanship, and later launched his gubernatorial campaign after failing to recruit a GOP candidate from West Tennessee.