James’ relentless drive to improve the communities and resources he serves is only surpassed by his love for, and dedication to, his wife and children – Elizabeth, Opal and Jacob.
Supervisor Gore’s home district was devastated by the October 2017 Northern California Fire Siege, where Sonoma County lost more than 5,700 homes. His leadership in the response helped galvanize his community towards a hard-wrought, successful recovery. As the wildfires, floods, droughts, pandemic, and other disasters have continued, James has stepped forward as a statewide and national champion on resiliency in the face of extreme weather and natural disasters.
Family and service intertwined in the South American nation of Bolivia. James and his future wife, Elizabeth, met there while helping local communities build water management systems, improve agricultural practices, and develop a campaign that linked seven isolated communities medical & dental care and education.
President Barack Obama appointed James as Assistant Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). There James led: nationwide conservation efforts at the intersection of agriculture, business, and the environment; expansion of services in persistent poverty areas; and efforts on climate change mitigation and the protection of Pacific salmon habitats.
In 2013, James and Elizabeth returned home to Sonoma County to raise their young family. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2014 after running a relentless, positive campaign built on inclusiveness and a commitment to deliver progress for the residents of Sonoma County. He was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
James has consistently earned leadership positions from his peers. He was elected to the presidencies of both the California State Association of Counties, the voice of California counties for addressing state and regional issues, and the National Association of Counties, which advocates for federal policies that are responsive to local and regional communities. James has used these positions to advance climate resilience, fire protection & recovery, rural connectivity issues, and policies advancing tribal communities, among other pressing community needs.
James was born and raised in northern Sonoma County, attended Jefferson Elementary in Cloverdale and graduated from Montgomery High in Santa Rosa. He attended California Poly San Luis Obispo earning a Bachelor’s Degree, and has a Master’s Degree from George Washington University. He lives in Healdsburg with his wife, the Co-Founder of tech start-up Hello Alice, and their two young children.