James Edgar (born January 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999.

Edgar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma. A Republican, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives between 1977 and 1979 and was the Secretary of State of Illinois between 1981 and 1991. He then served two terms as governor, being elected in a close race in 1990 against his Democratic opponent, attorney general Neil Hartigan , and reelected in 1994 by a wide margin against another Democratic opponent, controller and former state senator Dawn Clark Netsch.

In the elections of 1992 and 1994, the Republicans succeeded in capturing both houses of the state legislature and all statewide offices, putting Edgar in a very strong political position. He advocated increases in funding for education along with cuts in government employment, spending and welfare programs.

When Sen. Peter Fitzgerald announced in spring 2003 that he would not run for re-election in 2004, the Bush administration approached Edgar about running for the seat. When Edgar seemed likely to enter the race, he suddenly announced he wouldn't seek the seat, saying instead that he was giving his wife an early Mother's Day gift. His medical problems (he had recently underwent heart surgery) were also cited. The Senate seat eventually went to Democrat Barack Obama.