James Joseph Ayers

James Joseph Ayers (August 27, 1830 – November 12, 1897) was a Scottish American pioneer, newspaperman and politician who served one term as California State Printer from 1883 to 1887. He co-founded several early newspapers in California, including the San Francisco Call and the Los Angeles Express.

In 1878, he was elected a delegate to California's Second Constitutional Convention on a Non-Partisan ticket, representing Los Angeles. The next year, he was the Workingmen's Party nominee for Congress in the 4th district, coming in third place behind Democrat R. Wallace Leach and Republican Romualdo Pacheco. In the 1882 California gubernatorial election, Ayers campaigned vigorously for Democratic candidate George Stoneman, who appointed him State Printer after his victory.