James Hayes

Hayes was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Conestoga Valley High School. PoliticsPA reports he is the son of a union steelworker and that a United Steelworkers scholarship first sent him to college.[2][4] He earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in 1983, a graduate degree from Princeton University in 1985 and another from the University of Chicago in 1989. WESA's 2024 voter guide lists them as a B.S.F.S. in international economics, an M.P.A. in economics and policy, and an M.B.A., plus a D.B.A. in management from Case Western Reserve University.[2][3]

Hayes spent about 30 years in finance and industry, including six years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and, per PoliticsPA, top positions at Fortune 500 companies. In his Ballotpedia survey he says he most recently served as chief financial officer of Gulf Coast Sand and was previously chief operating officer of Marine Electric Systems, a U.S. manufacturer supplying electrical components to the U.S. Navy.[2][3][4]

He ran for the 12th District as the Republican nominee in 2024, his first campaign, and lost to Lee. WESA reported he entered the race after his son was killed in a homicide that was then unsolved. He lived in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, as of 2024.[2][3] Hayes advanced unopposed from the May 19, 2026 Republican primary with 23,760 votes.[2] He campaigned on reducing regulation, school choice, and law-enforcement support.[1][2][3][4] He received 34.6% of the vote to Summer Lee's 65.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[5]