Founder and CEO of Judge Public Relations, James Judge is a God-fearing Christian, husband, award-winning public relations expert, former journalist and decorated war veteran.
Notably, in 2022, James won the primary election in a landslide against two competitors to become the Republican nominee for Florida’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Tampa and St. Petersburg, despite being significantly outspent.
James was born in Clearwater, Florida, attended Skycrest Christian School, Oak Grove Middle School, Dunedin High School and graduated from Eckerd College. From 2003-2007, James was in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Adak from 2004-2005, and later in Miami as a public affairs specialist from 2005-2007.
From 2010-2011, James served at the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command under General David Petraeus in Kabul, Afghanistan as a spokesman for NATO and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Following that assignment, James returned to Tampa where he began consulting and later founded Judge Public Relations, a PR and marketing firm headquartered in Tampa, which supports domestic and international businesses from a variety of sectors including food-and-beverage, hospitality, non-profit, retail sales, sports, human medicine, veterinary medicine, technology, counter-terrorism and defense.
In addition to his business work, James spearheaded the effort to bring back a historic Coast Guard cutter, which oversaw waterborne rescue efforts on 9/11, and founded the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Adak Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving U.S. Coast Guard and armed forces history.
James also volunteers and provides services for several charities and non-profit organizations. Over the years, he has personally helped with the Homeless Empowerment Program, Frankie’s Friends, Project DYNAMO, Clearwater Historical Society and the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
Locally, James is also known for his involvement as one of the six original organizers, and spokesman, for the Skyway 10k. To date, the Skyway 10K has raised nearly $3 million for military families with 100 percent of registration fees being donated to the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
In 2015, James married his wife, Danielle. Danielle is the chief of operations for Judge Public Relations and the founder and owner of Rowdy’s Pet Resort, a dog daycare a boarding facility near Apollo Beach.
The Judges are avid animal lovers and together, they have four dogs, three cats, two horses and nearly a dozen chickens.
James proudly belongs to and supports the American Legion, Association of the United States Army, Coastal Conservation Association, Italian Club of Tampa, National Rifle Association, Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa Propeller Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
James and Danielle are also long-time, active members at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa.
James Judge
