Dan Kuykendall

Dan Heflin Kuykendall (born July 9, 1924) was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Related Topics:
July 9 - 1924 - U.S. Representative - Tennessee - 1967 - 1975 - Republican Party

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Kuykendall was born in San Saba County, Texas. He was a pilot in World War II from 1942 to 1945. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1947. Employment with Procter & Gamble brought him to Memphis, Tennessee. In 1963 he became chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, which was just beginning its return to prominence after many years of near-irrelevance. This was fueled by a large number of white voters who had always voted Democratic shifting to the Republicans. In 1964 he received the Republican nomination for United States Senate against incument U.S. Senator Albert Gore, Sr.. Kuykendall ran a surprisingly competitive race. The closeness of this race (at least by the standards of the time) took many observers by surprise, especially given the size of the landslide, both in Tennessee and nationally, by President Lyndon B. Johnson over Barry Goldwater, and made Kuykendall very popular in Republican circles.

Related Topics:
San Saba County, Texas - Pilot - World War II - 1942 - 1945 - Texas A&M University - 1947 - Procter & Gamble - Memphis, Tennessee - 1963 - Shelby County - Democratic - 1964 - United States Senate - Albert Gore, Sr. - President - Lyndon B. Johnson - Barry Goldwater

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In 1966 Kuykendall won the Republican nomination for the Memphis-based 9th Congressional District. He narrowly defeated freshman Democratic Congressman George Grider in November, becoming Tennessee's first Republican congressman from outside of East Tennessee since 1883. He had very little trouble being reelected until 1972. His voting record was very conservative. He was also known for being long-winded to the point of what many felt was verbosity, and as a consequence was given the somewhat derisive nickname "The Tennessee Talking Horse".

Related Topics:
1966 - East Tennessee - 1883 - 1972 - Nickname

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Reapportionment based on the 1970 federal census caused Tennessee to lose a congressional district. In an attempt to punish neighboring 6th District Congressman William Anderson for his perceived liberalism and national ambitions, the General Assembly shifted several portions of Kuykendall's district, which was renumbered the 8th District, to the 6th. In return, Kuykendall received a larger number of black constituents than he had previously represented. Kuykendall won re-election in 1972 against black pastor J. O. Patterson, Jr. in the midst of the national Republican landslide (in which Richard Nixon won 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties), but massive "white flight" in the Memphis area caused many analysts to speculate that this seat would not remain Republican for long. In 1974, the Democrats nominated state representative Harold Ford, a young member of a prominent black funeral-directing family in Memphis whose political involvement dated to the days of E.H. Crump. Ford staged a tremendous get-out-the-vote campaign in the Memphis black community. On election night, it looked like Kuykendall had managed to hold onto the seat by a razor-thin margin. However, Ford's supporters found eight ballot boxes in the dumpster of the Shelby County Election Commission. When those ballots were counted, it was enough for Ford to unseat Kuykendall. Since then, Republicans have never come close to retaking the Memphis-area district. The district was renumbered the 9th District again and became majority-black in the 1980s round of redistricting, and Republicans have lost interest in the seat.

Related Topics:
Federal - Census - William Anderson - Liberalism - Black - 1972 - J. O. Patterson, Jr. - Richard Nixon - White flight - 1974 - Harold Ford - E.H. Crump

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As is the case with many former members of Congress, Kuykendall could not resist the allure of the Washington, D.C. area and is now a resident of Bethesda, Maryland.

Related Topics:
Congress - Washington, D.C. - Bethesda, Maryland

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