Paul Harvey Cunningham (June 15, 1890 – July 16, 1961) served nine consecutive terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa.

He graduated from State Teachers College, Indiana, Pennsylvania, in 1911, from the literary department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1914, and from its Law School in 1915.

On February 4, 1940, Congressman Cassius C. Dowell died, thereby creating a vacancy in Iowa's 6th congressional district.

Cunningham fell four votes short of receiving the Republican Party's nomination as its candidate in the March 5, 1940 special election.

Two weeks before the election, Cunningham was slightly favored to win, based on a split within the Polk County Democratic Party's organization.