David Goodrich James (August 3, 1843 – October 3, 1921) was an American businessman, tinner and Civil War veteran from Richland Center, Wisconsin.

He represented the 28th district of the Wisconsin State Senate for four years (1909–1913) as a Republican, and served as a Union Army volunteer during the American Civil War.

He was elected state senator in 1908 for a four-year term (succeeding fellow Republican Oliver Munson), receiving 6,358 votes against 3,360 for Democrat J. K. Schreiner.

In 1892, their daughter Ada James and several other high school girls formed the Equality Club to assist in the campaign for women's suffrage.

Wisconsin won this distinction because David James traveled to Washington, D.C. by train and hand-delivered the documents to just nose out Illinois for this honor.