Douglas, James H. (James Holley), 1951-

James Holley Douglas (born June 21, 1951) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Secretary of State of Vermont from 1981 to 1993, as Treasurer of Vermont from 1995 to 2003, and as Governor of Vermont from 2003 to 2011.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, he graduated from East Longmeadow High School in the town of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts before earning a B.A. from Middlebury College. In November 1972, Douglas was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, where he became the House Majority Leader during his third two-year term at the age of 25. He left the Vermont General Assembly in 1979, afterwards serving as a top aide to Governor Richard A. Snelling. Douglas was elected Secretary of State in November 1980, a post which he held until 1992. That year he sought election to the U.S. Senate, but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Patrick Leahy.

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