David Erle Boswell is a former Democratic member of the Kentucky Senate, having represented the 8th District from 1990 to 2011. Earlier he was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1978 through 1983. In 1983, he defeated Republican Richard Turner to be elected Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky with 64%. In 1987, he was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor unsuccessfully in the Democratic Primary on a ticket paired with Grady Stumbo. The Stumbo-Boswell ticket came in fourth. He returned the political arena and was the 2008 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District, and lost to Republican nominee Brett Guthrie. The congressional seat became open because of the retirement of Republican Ron Lewis.