Edward James (Louisiana politician)

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Edward Clark "Ted" James, II
Louisiana State Representative for District 101
In office January 2012 – January 28, 2022
Preceded by	Wesley T. Bishop (moved to District 99)
Succeeded by	Vanessa Caston LeFleur
Born	June 1981 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Political party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Veronica James
Children	Harper Ryan James
Residence	Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Alma mater	McKinley Senior High School Southern University Southern University Law Center (all in Baton Rouge)
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Baptist

Edward Clark James, II, also known as Ted James (born June 1981), is an African-American attorney from his native Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who is a Democrat former state representative for District 101 in East Baton Rouge Parish. First elected in 2011,^[1] and resigned his seat in 2022 to join the Joe Biden administration in Washington, D.C.

Background[edit]

James graduated from the historically black McKinley Senior High School and Southern University, from which he received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and the Southern University Law Center, from which he earned his Juris Doctorate degree. All three institutions are in Baton Rouge.^[1] James is a Baptist.^[2]

Political life[edit]

District 101 was based in Orleans Parish in the 2007 election, when Democrat Cedric Richmond was elected as the U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, a seat with Richmond vacated in 2021 also to join the Biden national administration.^[3] When Richmond went to Congress, Wesley T. Bishop, another African-American Democrat, won the District 101 seat,^[4] but Bishop was moved the following year to District 99.

District 101 was switched to East Baton Rouge Parish in 2011. James won the general election, a low-turnout contest, for the District 101 seat over fellow Democrat, Tiffany Foxworth. James received 2,414 votes (58.1 percent) to Foxworth's 1,744 (41.9 percent).^[5]In the previous nonpartisan blanket primary James led Foxworth. Four other candidates, two of whom were Republicans, Harold Williams and Sarah Holliday, were eliminated in the primary.^[6]

James was affiliated with the Black Caucus and the Democratic Caucus. He served on these House committee: (1) Appropriations, (2) Judiciary, (3) Natural Resources and Environment, and (4) Joint Budget.^[1]

James' legislative ratings ranged from 20 percent from the conservative Louisiana Association of Business and Industry even though he was formerly employed by LABI.^[7] In 2013 and 2014, the Louisiana Family Forum, another conservative group, scored him 60 and 11 percent, respectively. In 2013 and 2014, he was rated 100 and 67 percent, respectively, by Louisiana Right to Life. He was rated 100 percent by the Louisiana Association of Educators, the teachers' union.^[8]

In 2014, James did not vote on the requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; only five House members opposed the measure. That same year, he voted to extend the time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards . He did not vote on the issue of forbidding the transportation of dogs in open truck beds on interstate highways. He voted to repeal anti-sodomy laws, but the measure failed in the House.^[9]

In 2013, James voted to reduce penalties for the possession of marijuana and opposed permanent concealed carry gun permits and the taking of guns into restaurants. He also opposed keeping information on concealed carry permits out of the public record. He did not vote on the increase in judicial pay but voted to end the mandatory retirement age for judges. In 2012, he voted to prohibit the use of telephones while driving and opposed state tax incentives to recruit a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana. He opposed reducing the number of hours that polling locations remain open. Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days. He did not vote on the requirement for drug testing of welfare recipients.^[9]

In 2016, James announced that he would not run to succeed the term-limited Kip Holden as Mayor-President of Baton Rouge. Victory in that race went to Democrat Sharon Weston Broome, another African-American Democrat who still holds the office.^[10]

Early in 2022, James resigned from the Louisiana House to join the Biden administration as a regional officer of the Small Business Administration.^[11] He was succeeded in the state House by Democrat Vanessa Caston LeFleur.

References[edit]