Meet James

My name is James Archibald Atkins, Jr. As I was raised in a small farming community and worked on my family's farm, I developed a passion for plants. And from the age of 12, helping my dad in our small family Ag business, I learned the true value of a hard day's work. Growing up in a predominantly lower income community, I've seen firsthand the corruption of power, from government overreach and wrongful arrests to serious crimes being ignored while minor offenses are harshly punished. I've also observed how a wealthy minority wields disproportionate influence and remains untouched by the consequences faced by the rest of us.

After getting a degree in Agronomy from North Carolina State University, I attended Clemson University, earning a degree in Horticulture and currently work as a Cannabis Specialist, working closely with growers. I now live in Greenville with my wife, Katie, and our three dogs. Outside of work, I enjoy live music, whitewater rafting, darts, shooting, and discussing the vital role that liberty plays in our lives, highlighting how essential freedom is to fostering individual autonomy, business innovation and free trade.

While I only recently decided to become involved in politics, I have always been passionate about the role the government plays in people's lives. I can no longer sit by in the face of widespread corruption and government overreach that pervades both the Republican and Democratic parties. I am running for SC House 23 due to an incumbent who has 16 years of recorded votes that erode our liberties, raise our taxes and are not in the best interest of "We The People". I am running to not only safeguard our liberties but also to expand them, countering a government scale far beyond what the Founding Fathers envisioned. My goal is to address government overreach and champion positive change for the people of District 23 and the entire state of South Carolina.