Dunn, Jennifer, 1941-2007

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<p>Jennifer Dunn, a longtime Washington state Republican official, won election to the U.S. House in the so-called “Year of the Woman.” A self-styled “Reagan conservative,” Congresswoman Dunn became a prominent figure in the Republican Party as it gained control of the House in 1994, moving into party leadership and securing a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Her chief legislative work was in the field of tax policy.</p>

<p>Jennifer Blackburn was born in Seattle, Washington, on July 29, 1941, the daughter of Helen and John (Jack) Charles Blackburn. Her father was a cannery worker, fishing equipment salesman, and real estate broker. Her mother taught at a school for Native-American children but gave up her career to raise her children. Jennifer Blackburn grew up in Bellevue, Washington, and excelled at sports and outdoor activities. “Just about everything she did was full steam ahead,” her brother recalled. She attended the University of Washington from 1960 to 1962 and earned a BA in English literature from Stanford University in 1963. For five years she worked as a systems designer for a major computer company. She married Dennis Dunn, who later became the GOP chairman in King County, Washington. The Dunns raised two children, Bryant and Reagan, but were divorced in 1977. Jennifer Dunn worked as a public relations officer in the King County department of assessments from 1978 to 1980. One of her first major political posts was as the statewide coordinator for Ronald Reagan’s 1976 presidential campaign. From 1980 to 1992, she chaired the state Republican Party and also served as vice chair of the Republican National Committee’s executive board from 1988 to 1991. Dunn joined U.S. delegations to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1984 and in 1990.</p>

<p>In 1992, when incumbent Washington Republican Rodney Dennis Chandler left his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate, Dunn declared her candidacy. In the open primary for the district spanning many of Seattle’s affluent eastern suburbs in King and Pierce counties (an area containing many of the leading technology companies), she edged out Republican state senator Pam Roach 32 to 29 percent. In the general election, she faced a Republican-turned-Democrat, businessman George Tamblyn. Dunn’s platform included support for abortion rights which contrasted with her conservative bona fides: opposition to tax increases, support for school vouchers and the line-item veto, and a tough-on-crime platform. Dunn won with 60 percent of the vote. In her subsequent five re-election bids, she equaled that margin of victory or exceeded it.</p>

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<p>Jennifer Jill Dunn (née Blackburn; July 29, 1941 – September 5, 2007) was an American politician and engineer who served six terms as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing Washington's 8th congressional district.</p>

<p>Born in Seattle, Washington, Dunn grew up in the nearby city of Bellevue, and graduated from Bellevue High School in 1959. She attended the University of Washington, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University. After graduation, she worked as a systems engineer. She is a distant cousin of congressman Slade Gorton.</p>

<p>Dunn was chair of the Washington State Republican Party from 1981 to 1992 and twice a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (1984 and 1990).</p>

<p>In 1992, she ran for an open seat in the House, winning with 60 percent of the vote. She was Washington's only Republican representative until the Republican Revolution of 1994 when Republicans swept all but two of Washington's nine House seats. In 1998, she became the first woman ever to run for the position of House Majority Leader.</p>

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