James Lee Purnell Jr. (born July 26, 1937) is a retired American politician and social activist. He is most known as the first African-American elected to public office in Worcester County, Maryland. Prior to his election he was one of the lead plaintiffs, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in a voting rights lawsuit to end at-large voting and create a majority "minority" voting district in Worcester County, Maryland. At the time, Purnell was President of the NAACP's Worcester County branch.