About
Meet James
South Carolina House
District 116
Christian. Conservative. Veteran.
His story
From a Hospital Room to the State House Floor.
James decided to run for office after returning from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with his daughter, where doctors saved her life. He is now fighting to bring a St. Jude partnership to South Carolina so families here can access world-class care without having to travel across the country.
As a small business owner, James has created more than 100 jobs here in the Lowcountry. He has seen firsthand how burdensome regulations affect local businesses and how rapid growth can threaten our quality of life. He brought that experience to the House Regulations Committee, where he chairs the Education and Administrative Procedures Subcommittee and serves on the Cybersecurity Subcommittee. He also serves on the House Education and Public Works Committee.
That combination of personal and professional experience guides James’s work in Columbia. It is why he has worked to reduce burdens on small businesses, supported teacher raises and school resource officers, and stood with the first responders who protect our communities. His commitment earned him recognition as the 2026 First Responder Legislator of the Year from South Carolina’s firefighters. James and his family were also recipients of the 2025 St. Jude Hope Award for helping raise more than $4.5 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
$4,000
In teacher raises voted for in his first two years
106
Conservation Voters of SC scorecard rating
2026
PFFASC First Responder Legislator of the Year
In His Own Words.
Why he ran
“My journey into politics was not the norm. After our family returned from St. Jude, I made it my life’s mission to bring a St. Jude affiliate to South Carolina so that families in our State could receive world-class treatment right here in our own community.
This effort resulted in the realization that I could do so much more as an elected representative than just a cancer Dad. I ran for office to make the dream of a local St. Jude a reality.
In addition to this goal, I knew I could lean on my experience as a successful small business owner to reduce burdensome regulations, improve infrastructure, lower taxes, and make life more affordable for South Carolinians.”
U.S. Navy
A tradition of service
What guides him
Christian Values and Proven Results.
Faith & Family First
Decisions in Columbia should make it easier — not harder — to raise a family in South Carolina.
Fewer Rules, More Freedom
Every regulation that no longer serves a purpose is a tax on the small businesses that hire our neighbors.
Service Before Self
A veteran's habit: show up, do the work, and take care of the people standing next to you.
Faith & Community
Faith in Action
Faith: The Teeple’s are members of Coastal Community Church in West Ashley. Their foundation in faith guides all that they do. Upon returning from St. Jude, James started the Men’s Fellowship Group, Red Truck Men on his back patio. The first meeting saw 20 men come together to grow in their faith and work to become better Christians, husbands, fathers, and citizens. This group has grown to over 200 men who meet monthly and dive into the Word of God. Red Truck Men is now the largest Men’s Fellowship Group in Charleston and has had a lasting impact on the community.
Milestones
- 2022Returns from St. Jude and begins the campaign for a South Carolina affiliate.
- 2024Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, District 116.
- 2025Named Chairman of the Education and Administrative Regulations Subcommittee and selected for the SCDOT Modernization Committee.
- 2026Named PFFASC First Responder Legislator of the Year.