James Edward Riordan was born in Kentucky, Feb. 1859 to Thomas and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Riordan. His father was born in Ireland, his mother in Kentucky. In 1881 he married Mary and started a family.

By 1900 he was in Anaconda, Mont. and politically active as a Socialist. The Anaconda Standard of Feb. 20, 1903 describes Riordan's contribution to a public debate on the doctrine of Socialism held on the previous evening:

"J.E. Riordan opened the argument for the socialists. He defined socialism as the public ownership and control of the sources of production and distribution. His 20 minutes were devoted to the most part to a discussion of present evils and assertions that socialism would cure them."

Sometime in 1903-1904 the Riordan family moved to Seattle, where James found employment as a streetcar operator. This was his occupation for many years.

It is unknown at what point he became involved with the Seattle branch of the Socialist Labor Party, but this dogmatic splinter group felt the mainstream Socialist Party had grown too willing to compromise their principles for political gain. In 1916 the national Socialist Labor Party considered the question of unity with the Socialist Party, but it was not meant to be.

Ignored by the press, and without a newspaper of their own, the Socialist Labor candidates in Washington State were basically invisible. Riordan's run for Governor was ignored even by the Socialist newspapers. He placed a very distant 6th out of 6 candidates with a statewide total of 623 votes (0.17%). He placed 5th in Clallam and Mason counties, and tied with Bradford for last in Garfield (1 vote each) and Wahkiakum counties (2 votes each). In Columbia, San Juan and Skamania counties Riordan tallied a grand total of zero votes.

James Riordan died in Seattle on Mar. 10, 1921, the same month Warren Harding was sworn in as President. It was the cusp between the Progressive Era and the Jazz Age.