John Jay Hooker, Jr. was an American attorney, entrepreneur, political gadfly and perennial candidate from Nashville, Tennessee, who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee in 1970 and 1998.

The 1970 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Democratic Governor Buford Ellington was term-limited and was prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking another term. Republican nominee Winfield Dunn, defeated Democratic opponent John Jay Hooker with 52.0% of the vote.