James brings a wealth of federal and state advocacy, political, and grassroots experience to Civitas. Currently, James leads a client portfolio that tackles a range of economic, health, LGBT, workforce, and clean energy issues. With a background in Republican politics, James leads on projects across the firm and serves as a thought leader for clients focused on building right-of-center support for the leading issues of the day.

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Over the course of his career, James has founded, led, and served on the boards of multiple center-right nonprofit endeavors. These include Centerline Action and Centerline Liberties, which spearheaded a successful GOP-focused advocacy campaign to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, and Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) and CRES Forum, organizations building center-right support for clean energy and climate action. James also serves as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Political Advocacy Committee.

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Prior to joining our team, James worked at the Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C. based political action committee, where he served as deputy political director and successfully designed campaign and communication strategies for dozens of political candidates from across the country. James also worked at Gill Action where he led the organization’s electoral and legislative efforts in New England and the Mountain West. He started his political career as a campaign staffer for Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) in 2002 and has worked to advise and elect candidates running for office at all levels of government ever since.‍

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James earned his bachelor’s degree from American University with an academic concentration in political science and international relations.