Jim Bunning

James Paul David "Jim" Bunning (born October 23, 1931 in Southgate, Kentucky) is an American politician who was a Hall of Fame pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1971. He subsequently entered elective politics and was eventually elected to the United States Senate from Kentucky; he has served there since 1999 as a Republican. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District from 1987 to 1999.

Political career

First elected to office in 1977, the ambitious Bunning would serve only two years on the city council of Fort Thomas, Kentucky before running for and winning a seat in the Kentucky Senate as a Republican. He was elected minority leader by his Republican colleagues, a rare feat for a freshman legislator.

Related Topics:
1977 - Fort Thomas, Kentucky - Kentucky Senate

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He was the Republican candidate for governor in 1983, losing to Democratic lieutenant governor Martha Layne Collins. In 1986, Bunning won the Republican nomination in Kentucky's 4th District, based in Kentucky's share of the Cincinnati metro area, after 10-term incumbent Gene Snyder retired. He won easily in the fall and was reelected five more times without serious opposition in what was considered the most Republican district in Kentucky. After the Republicans gained control of the House in 1995, Bunning served as chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security until 1999.

Related Topics:
Governor - 1983 - Democratic - Lieutenant governor - Martha Layne Collins - 1986 - 1995 - House Ways and Means - 1999

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In 1998, Senate Majority Whip Wendell Ford decided to retire after 24 years in the Senate--the longest term in Kentucky history. Bunning won the Republican nomination for the seat, and faced fellow Congressman Scotty Baesler, a Democrat from the Lexington-based 6th District, in the general election. Bunning defeated Baesler by just over half a percentage point, one of the few bright spots in what was otherwise a bad night for Republicans. The race was very close; Bunning only won by swamping Baesler in his old district while Baesler barely won his old district. Bunning was one of the few bright spots in what was a bad night for Republicans; there was a nationwide backlash against Republicans for what was perceived as their overzealous impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Related Topics:
1998 - Senate Majority Whip - Wendell Ford - Scotty Baesler - Lexington - Impeachment - Bill Clinton

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Bunning was heavily favored for a second term in 2004 after his expected Democratic opponent, Governor Paul Patton, saw his career implode in a scandal over an extramarital affair. Eventually, the Democrats settled on Daniel Mongiardo, a relatively unknown physician and state senator from Hazard. Despite heavily outspending Mongiardo, Bunning was dogged by several verbal gaffes and other instances of erratic behavior (see below). The race turned out to be another nail-biter, with Mongiardo being ahead with as many as 80% of the returns coming in. However, Bunning eventually won by just over a percentage point. Some analysts felt that had it not been for George W. Bush's 20-point victory in the state, Mongiardo would have won.

Related Topics:
2004 - Paul Patton - Daniel Mongiardo - Hazard - George W. Bush

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Among the bills that Bunning sponsored is the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004. He is one of the Senate's most conservative members, gaining high marks from several conservative interest groups.

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