Jim Bunn

James Lee Bunn (born December 12, 1956) is an American politician from Oregon. A native of Yamhill County, he served in the Oregon State Senate before election to the United States House of Representatives where he served one term. A Republican, he now works as a correctional officer for the county.

Jim Bunn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997
Preceded byMichael J. Kopetski
Succeeded byDarlene Hooley
Member of the Oregon Senate
from the 15th district
In office
1987–1995
Preceded byTony Meeker
Succeeded byMarylin Shannon
Personal details
Born (1956-12-12) December 12, 1956
McMinnville, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Cindy Bunn
​
(m. 1978⁠–⁠1995)​

Sonja Skurdal
RelativesStan Bunn (brother)
Tom Bunn (brother)
EducationChemeketa Community College
Northwest Nazarene University (BA)

Early life and education

James Lee Bunn[1] was born in McMinnville and graduated from Dayton High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern Nazarene College in 1979, and remains a member of the Church of the Nazarene.

Career

Bunn worked in agribusiness, and from 1987 until his election to Congress, served in the Oregon National Guard. A Republican, he was a member of the Oregon State Senate from 1987 to 1995, where he served as Republican whip from 1990 to 1995.

United States House of Representatives

In 1994, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Oregon's 5th congressional district. During his one term in the House from 1995 to 1997, Bunn divorced his wife of 17 years, with whom he had five children, and married Sonja Skurdal, an aide in his congressional office whom he made his chief of staff. Bunn then paid Skurdal more than any other congressional aide in Oregon at that time.[2] In the 1996 election, this scandal contributed to his loss to Democrat Darlene Hooley.[3]

Later career

After leaving Congress, Bunn became a sheriff's deputy at the Yamhill County jail.[2][4] In 2008, he was a candidate for the Oregon House of Representatives in the state's 24th district which includes McMinnville, but was defeated in the primary by Jim Weidner.[5]

Bunn ran again for congress in 2022 but came in 5th in the primary out of 7 candidates.[6][7]

Personal life

Bunn's family includes other notable public figures, such as his brother Stan Bunn, a former Oregon superintendent of public instruction and member of both houses of the state legislature.[8] Another brother, Tom Bunn, is a former Yamhill County commissioner and was briefly a state senator.[9] All three brothers served in the legislature for a short time in from July 1992 to January 1993.[8]

References
  1. "1987 Regular Session (64th)". Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  2. Jaquiss, Nigel (January 3, 2001). "Jim Bunn: A former congressman now pulls the midnight swing shift at the local jail". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  3. Doherty, Carroll (January 24, 1998). "Heavy workload exacted a toll". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  4. Sullivan, Julie; Brent Walth (December 10, 2000). "Ex-lawmaker watches reforms exceed intent". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 27, 2005. Retrieved 2006-04-17.
  5. Green, Ashbel S (2008-05-21). "Kroger defeats Macpherson for attorney general". Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  6. Aabram, Virginia (March 14, 2022). "1990s-era House member seeks comeback after second career as prison guard". The Denver Gazette. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  7. news, In the (2022-03-10). "Ex-Congressman Jim Bunn re-runs for Congress". The Oregon Catalyst. Retrieved 2023-08-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. Hortsch, Dan (July 4, 1992). "Bring out the Bunns". The Oregonian. p. D4.
  9. Wong, Peter (2008-03-20). "Bunn seeks return to state Legislature". Statesman-Journal.
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