# James Braid (government official)

James C. Braid (born November 21, 1988) is an American political advisor serving as the director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. He previously served as Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff to then Senator JD Vance. He has been involved in various roles as a congressional staffer.

## Early life and education

James Braid was born to a Scottish immigrant father in 1988. In 2013, Braid graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

## Career

Braid began his professional career writing book reviews for the conservative journal, The Washington Free Beacon. In 2015 he interned under the Heritage Foundation lobbying for Heritage Action for America. During his time at Heritage Action, Braid lobbied for the revisions to the Clean Water Act, for repeal of the estate tax, against the Paris Climate Agreement, and against the EPA Renewable Fuel Standard program.
Later in 2015, Braid began his career as a congressional staffer serving a variety of roles for Representative and former Governor Mark Sanford. In 2018 Braid served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Representative Ted Budd and was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30: Law and Policy for that year. Forbes described Braid as one of the House Freedom Caucus' "top policy minds." That year Braid moved from Budd's office to the House Freedom Caucus as Policy Director under Representative Mark Meadows leadership. From July 2019 until January 2021 Braid served as Deputy Associate Director, Legislative Affairs, Appropriations under the Office of Management and Budget. During this time Braid completed fellowships with the Claremont Institute and Hillsdale College.
In 2021 Braid served as Chief of Staff to Representative Matt Rosendale. Braid briefly served as a Government Affairs Fellow for the Conservative Partnership Institute, who would later pay for trips for Braid and a number of other Freedom caucus senior staffers for legislative workshops at a 6400 acre estate in Cambridge, Maryland with speakers such as former bosses Mark Meadows and Russ Vought. From December 2021 until January 2023 Braid would serve as the Chief of Staff to Representative Ken Buck. In January 2023 Braid joined newly elected Senator JD Vance's staff as Legislative Director before becoming Vance's Chief of Staff in October of that year. Braid and Vance previously served together on the Board of Advisors for American Moment, an organization focused on training and placing young 'America first' conservatives in influential public-policy making organizations. While serving on Vance's staff Braid also worked as an instructor under the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 leading a course on Congressional Relations.
In November of 2024 Donald Trump announced that Braid would be serving as the White House Director of Legislative Affairs and Deputy Assistant to the President in his incoming administration. Braid assumed office on January 20, 2025.

## Personal life

Braid is a native to Raleigh, North Carolina. He married Melissa Brown Braid, former Communications Director for the House Freedom Caucus and current Communications Director for the Senate Commerce Committee in March 2022 in Washington, DC where they reside.