Harper agreed to run for governor after the expected choice of party leaders, Lexington attorney Larry Forgy, surprisingly dropped out of the race because of fundraising problems.
After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Air Force, serving one year on active duty and six in the reserves.
[2] During the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty and trained in radio relay at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
But he returned in 1984 to claim the House seat for the first of his five terms, defeating Democratic incumbent Frank J. Smith.
After Harper's death in Louisville, his widow, Mary, won her husband's former House seat in 2002 and was re-elected to a second term in 2004.