James Delaney (August 26, 1896 – April 20, 1970) was an American politician who served as the seventh mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 1929 to 1932.

James J. Delaney, Sr. was born in Castlerea, County Roscommon, Ireland on August 26, 1896.

In 1929, he married Nancy Marie Dillon (born March 5, 1896, in Aghamore, County Mayo, Ireland).

[1] The field abutting downtown which was serving as an airstrip at that time was renamed the Delaney Park Strip, in 1971.

According to Delaney, his "biggest [political] mistake" was ordering the removal of several brothels from near the strip during the 1930s, as that only caused the prostitution to move elsewhere.