David L. Bunning

David Louis Bunning (born 1966) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Bunning is the son of former Republican Senator Jim Bunning, a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher who represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2011. He was confirmed by the United States Senate with a unanimous vote on February 14, 2002, and received his commission on February 19, 2002. He became chief judge on February 1, 2025.

Vice President JD Vance clerked for Bunning.

Notable cases Miller v. Davis On September 3, 2015, Bunning issued a contempt of court ruling against Rowan County clerk Kim Davis and had her jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Bunning said in his ruling, "Our form of government will not survive unless we, as a society, agree to respect the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions, regardless of our personal opinions. Davis is certainly free to disagree with the Court's opinion, as many Americans likely do, but that does not excuse her from complying with it. To hold otherwise would set a dangerous precedent."