In 1980 he achieved a big political upset in challenging and defeating a popular Democratic incumbent in a mostly Democratic district, and Hunter has won reelection by wide margins ever since. He consistently wins 70% of the Democratic vote, even though he is a Republican.
His voting record is virtually 100% conservative in Congress, often taking the lead on controversial issues. Hunter is a proponent of [[fair tradeprotectionist]], opposing free trade agreements. <ref>http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4</ref>
Married since 1973, Hunter has two sons, one of whom is a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps who was deployed to Iraq.