James grew up in Yarrawonga. Like many young people from country towns, he left to build a career and later chose to come home. He has now been back in the region for more than four years, building his life here.

For James, Ovens Valley is home - where his family is, where he belongs, and where he wants the next generation to build a good life.

“I came home because this is where I belong. I want Ovens Valley to be a place where people can build a great life without feeling they have to leave to get ahead.”

At 31, James has spent more than a decade working in community organisations, sport and food relief. He holds a Bachelor of Business from La Trobe University.

Today, he leads a rural food-relief program supporting more than 5,000 people each month across more than 20 towns in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales.

That work puts James face-to-face with the pressures on country people: families counting every dollar, pensioners struggling with rising bills, small businesses battling higher costs, and working people still falling behind.

After years of arguing that smaller rural communities were being left outside major funding structures, the program received direct Victorian Government funding for the first time in 2026.

For James, it proved that being overlooked does not mean staying overlooked: build the case, bring people together, keep pushing and get a result.

“People out here don’t ask for special treatment. They’re asking for a fair go. Your postcode affects the support you can access. It shouldn’t decide whether your community matters.”

James has built his career outside politics. He is standing because Ovens Valley has been politically safe for too long and country communities have too often been expected to accept less.

“In four years, judge me on what we got done - whether we backed the battlers, whether Ovens Valley got its fair share, and whether we made Ovens Valley matter.”