James Comer Jr. was born in Carthage, Tennessee, in 1972. He earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Western Kentucky in 1993. His work experience included serving as president of Comer and Polston Insurance Incorporated from 1993 to 1995, as president of CFB Foods Incorporated from 2001 to 2003, as the director of South Central Bank from 2000 to 2012, and as the co-owner of the Comer Land and Cattle Company since 1994. He also served as chair of the Monroe County Republican Party. Comer served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 to 2012 and as Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture from 2012 to 2015.
