About
South Carolina House
District 116
Christian. Conservative. Veteran.
His story
James decided to run after returning from St. Jude and fighting to bring a St. Jude partnership to South Carolina — so families here would never have to travel across the country for world-class care.
As a small business owner, he saw firsthand the impact that overburdensome regulations were having on small businesses. He saw how our explosive growth was having a detrimental impact on our quality of life here in the Lowcountry, and he wanted to improve these real issues.
That combination — a father who has sat in the waiting room and an owner who has met a payroll — is what he brought with him to Columbia. It is why he asked for the Regulations Committee, why he pushed for teacher raises and school resource officers, and why the state's firefighters named him their 2026 First Responder Legislator of the Year.
$4,000
In teacher raises voted for in his first two years
106
Conservation Voters of SC scorecard rating
2026
PFFASC First Responder Legislator of the Year
In his own words
“My journey into politics was not the norm. After our family returned from St. Jude, I made it my life's mission to bring a St. Jude affiliate to South Carolina so that families in our State could receive world-class treatment right here in our own community.
This effort resulted in the realization that I could do so much more as an elected representative than just a cancer Dad. I ran for office to make the dream of a local St. Jude a reality.
In addition to this goal, I knew I could lean on my experience as a successful small business owner to reduce burdensome regulations, improve infrastructure, lower taxes, and make life more affordable for South Carolinians.”
What guides him
Decisions in Columbia should make it easier — not harder — to raise a family in South Carolina.
Every regulation that no longer serves a purpose is a tax on the small businesses that hire our neighbors.
A veteran's habit: show up, do the work, and take care of the people standing next to you.
Milestones