James Francis McNulty

James Francis McNulty Jr. (October 18, 1925 – June 30, 2009) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served one term in the United States House of Representatives as the representative from Arizona’s 5th congressional district. He was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, and moved with his family to Arizona as a child, settling in Tucson. He attended public schools in Tucson and came of age during the Great Depression and World War II, experiences that helped shape his later interest in public service and Democratic Party politics.

After graduating from high school, McNulty served in the United States Army during World War II. Following his military service, he enrolled at the University of Arizona in Tucson. At the university he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and pursued studies that led him toward a career in law and public affairs. He received his undergraduate degree and then continued at the University of Arizona College of Law, earning a law degree and being admitted to the bar. He subsequently established a law practice in southern Arizona, building a professional reputation that would support his later entry into elective office.

McNulty’s political career began at the state level. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the Arizona State Senate, where he served from 1969 to 1975. During his tenure in the legislature, he represented a Tucson-area district and participated in the development of state policy during a period of rapid growth and change in Arizona. His work in the State Senate, combined with his legal background and long residence in Tucson, positioned him as a prominent Democratic figure in southern Arizona politics.

When Arizona gained a new congressional seat following reapportionment after the 1980 census, the 5th congressional district was created, centered on Tucson and much of southeastern Arizona. In the 1982 election for this newly created district, McNulty ran as the Democratic nominee and faced Republican State Senator Jim Kolbe. In a closely contested race, McNulty defeated Kolbe by around 1,600 votes, securing election to the 98th Congress. He took office on January 3, 1983, and served until January 3, 1985. As a freshman member of Congress, he focused on issues important to his district, including matters affecting Arizona’s growing population, federal support for the region’s economy, and concerns related to the U.S.–Mexico border, though he served only a single term and did not attain senior committee leadership.

The political climate shifted markedly in the mid-1980s. In the 1984 election, McNulty again faced Jim Kolbe in a rematch for the 5th district seat. That year, President Ronald Reagan won a decisive reelection victory, and the district voted about 60 percent for Reagan. The strong Republican showing at the top of the ticket contributed significantly to McNulty’s defeat, and Kolbe unseated him, ending his congressional service after one term. McNulty returned to private life in Arizona, resuming his legal practice in Tucson and remaining active in civic and community affairs.

McNulty continued to reside in Tucson with his wife, Jacqui, and maintained his involvement in local Democratic politics and public life, even as he gradually stepped back from full-time professional work. He retired from the practice of law in 2000, concluding a long legal career that had paralleled his years in public office. James Francis McNulty Jr. died in Tucson, Arizona, on June 30, 2009. At the time of his death, he was remembered in Arizona as a dedicated public servant who had represented Tucson and southeastern Arizona in both the state legislature and the U.S. Congress.