James Lee Bunn[1] was born in McMinnville and graduated from Dayton High School.

Bunn worked in agribusiness, and from 1987 until his election to Congress, served in the Oregon National Guard.

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.

[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.

[8] Another brother, Tom Bunn, is a former Yamhill County commissioner and was briefly a state senator.