Boquist ran for the U.S. Senate in 1996, taking less than 1% in the Republican primary. In 2000, he was the Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Oregon's 5th congressional district, but lost with 43% of the vote to incumbent Darlene Hooley. Boquist challenged Darlene Hooley in the 2002 General Election, losing a second time with 45% of the vote. In 2004, Boquist decided against a run for Hooley's seat, but when Oregon state representative Lane Shetterly resigned to run the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development commission, Boquist chose instead to run for Shetterly's seat in Oregon House District 23. Though Jim Thompson was named by Oregon Republicans to complete Shetterly's term, Boquist defeated him in the Republican primary and went on to win the general election with 61% of the vote. Boquist was re-elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006 with 58% of the vote. In the 2008 Republican primary, Boquist announced that he was leaving the Oregon House to seek election to the state Senate. He was unopposed for his party's nomination to represent Oregon Senate District 12 and faced Democrat Kevin Nortness in the general election. He won the general election 61% to 39% garnering 33,264 votes. Boquist was re-elected the Oregon State Senate in 2012 with 60% of the vote, garnering 34,038 votes. Boquist serves as the Chairman of the Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee in the Oregon State Senate. He was closely involved in the 2013 Regular Session, and following Special Session, with the passage of a tax cut meant to incentivize job growth in rural Oregon. He was appointed to serve on the oversight committee for the start up of the Cover Oregon insurance exchange, during which time he sought expanded committee authority to place witnesses under oath and subpoena testimony; neither was granted to the now defunct committee. In June 2019, Boquist and 11 other Republican Senators walked out of a vote on a cap and trade resolution meant to reduce carbon emissions for the purpose of dealing with climate change. Since the 12 Republican senators left the Oregon State Capitol, the remaining 18 senators cannot hold a vote, which requires 20 members present. The previous day, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, on learning of the upcoming walkout, said she was going to send police to round up state legislators who didn't attend. In response, Boquist commented to reporters that he had told the state police superintendent, "Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I'm not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon". Brown said the Oregon constitution allowed for the use of police to detain recusant Senators. Although several Republican state senators returned to the Senate chamber on June 29, 2019, leading to the cap and trade bill being sent back to committee, while other bills were passed, Boquist was missing, as he was asked not to return due to other state senators feeling unsafe from his previous comments.
Personal
Boquist and his wife Peggy have six grown children and live near Dallas, Oregon. Their son Sethan Charles Sprague committed suicide in 2016 at age 31, likely related to trauma from his time in the Navy.
