James has experience in both campaigning and governing and brings a unique skill set that can be utilized by candidates and seasoned leaders alike. After being introduced to professional politics knocking doors in Iowa for Presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2008, James returned home to Chicago and joined Debbie Halvorson’s successful bid for Congress in the fall of 2008. Following the 2008 cycle,
James returned to school earning an Associate in Arts with a concentration in Political Science from Lakeland College in Mattoon, IL and a Bachelor in Science (Political Science) from Eastern Illinois University all the while continuing to gain experience working with local candidates. In late 2011, James again returned home to Chicago where he managed a campaign for State Representative in Chicago and its outlying suburbs. During the 2012 campaign cycle, James managed Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes’ re-election campaign while also consulting for numerous candidates in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will counties. In 2013, James managed the campaign for the Democrats United, a slate of ten candidates running in the municipal election in Calumet City, as well as advised and consulted for another five clients running for municipal office in Sauk Village. Following the 2013 campaign cycle, James took a position as chief strategist and counselor to Calumet City Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush. During his time in Calumet City, James quickly became an integral member of Mayor Qualkinbush’s team and was elevated to the position of Chief of Staff. While serving as Qualkinbush’s Chief of Staff, James led the restructuring and turnaround of two different city departments. In addition to these restructuring efforts, James had a lead role in personnel, purchasing, budgeting, and many other administrative functions of the city. While serving as a member of the Qualkinbush administration, James
continued to consult and advise candidates during his off-hours. Working with candidates for various municipal, park board, and school board races during the 2015 cycle, James solidified his standing as one of Chicago’s premier political consultants. James joined Dan Hynes and his team on Martin O’Malley’s bid for President in the 2016 primary, helping recruit O’Malley supporters to run as delegates to the Democratic National Convention. During the 2017 cycle, James again managed the campaign for the Democrats United team in Calumet City in addition to consulting for a number of other municipal candidates in the Chicagoland area.
