Jim Rimes is co-founder of Enwright Rimes and has experience both inside and outside of the process. Jim has served as a Deputy Chief of Staff for a Republican Governor, staff director in the Florida Senate Majority Office and Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida. His 28 years of experience in Florida politics brings a unique blend of skills in government, politics, and technology.
During his tenure with Enwright Rimes Consulting, Jim served as the general consultant to several successful campaigns, including Congressman Gus Bilirakis, State Senators Jeff Brandes, Kathleen Passidomo, Jason Brodeur, Nick DiCeglie and State Representatives Jason Shoaf, Shane Abbott, Brad Drake and Clay Ingram. He has managed several issue advocacy campaigns on a statewide basis, utilizing direct mail, radio advertising and telemarketing.
Jim served as the Staff Director for the Florida Senate Majority Office during the 2013-14 sessions. In that role Jim worked with Majority Leader Benacquisto to facilitate the management of legislation in committee and on the Senate floor. Jim was responsible for leading a team to coordinate with the Senate President’s office regarding policy needs and managed the communication needs of the Republican caucus including the use of video and social media.
Jim served as the Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida. Under his leadership, the RPOF thrived. Jim’s team partnered with FOX News, CNN/YouTube, and Univision to plan three nationally-televised debates during the 2008 Presidential Primary. The RPOF hosted a Presidency 4 event with 3,000-plus Republican activists from across the state and over 300 members of the media from across the nation. In addition to these major national events, Jim oversaw record-breaking fundraising efforts, successful voter registration and GOTV initiatives, and implemented enhanced communications with the media and grassroots supporters. Jim played a crucial role in the overwhelming passage of Amendment 1 in January, an initiative that cuts taxes for homeowners and businesses.
Prior to serving as Executive Director of the RPOF, Jim served as a Deputy Chief of Staff for a Republican Governor. In this capacity, Jim assisted the Governor with policy formulation and implementation through legislation and the budgetary process. Jim directly assisted with the supervision of several of state agencies, including the Department of Management Services, the Department of State, and the Agency for Workforce Innovation. He helped coordinate relations with Florida Cabinet agencies, the members of the media and the general public.
Jim also served as Director of Operations for a Republican Governor Campaign, where he was responsible for developing and executing direct voter contact programs. He coordinated media buys, commercial shoots, radio production and all external vendors, as well as working with the Chief of Staff and Political Director to develop the campaign’s budget and strategic plan. In addition to his responsibilities for the daily management of the campaign’s financial resources, Jim coordinated all activities relating to technology, providing him with exceptional experience that proved to be an invaluable benefit to the Governor’s Office, Republican Party of Florida, and now to the Enwright Rimes Consulting.
A Florida native, Jim graduated from the Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. Jim resides in Tallahassee.