Newt Gingrich's Contract with America was a growing political force when Lewis filed to run in 1994 against Natcher, who had held the seat for 41 years. Then Natcher became ill and died, leading to a special election between Kentucky Democratic legislator Joe Prather and the then-unknown Lewis, a Baptist minister who had no political experience at the time. Lewis won in an upset. Then he won again in the 1996 election, defeating Joe Wright, a respected Democratic state senator. The largely rural district, which stretches between Owensboro, Bowling Green and Bullitt County, keeps re-electing the representative by a comfortable margin.
Tobacco is a major part of the economy.
It's a community that's very pro-life. People are very self-sufficient in their ideas of less government instead of more government. One of Lewis' few weak spots, observers say, is his shift on a 1994 campaign promise that he would not serve more than four full terms, which would have had him in office no longer than 2002. He added that he will serve until voters dump him or he does something else. Pedigo, however, takes exception to Lewis' reversal.