James W. Merritt Jr. (born July 28, 1959)[1] is an American politician and former Republican member of the Indiana Senate from 1991 to 2020, representing the 31st District.

[2][3][4] He was reelected to the state Senate in the 2010 election, defeating then-Marion County Sheriff Frank J. Anderson by a margin of 52% to 44%.

Merritt received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Indiana University in 1981.

[5] Professionally, Merritt is vice president of corporate affairs for the Indiana Railroad Company.

[4] Merritt was elected chair of the Marion County Republican Party in March 2017.