There are several prominent people named James Phelan, including three American politicians:

James Phelan, Sr. (1820-1873), political figure in the Confederate States of America. His son, James Phelan, Jr. (1856-1891), A congressman from Tennessee from 1887 to 1891. And James D. Phelan (probably unrelated to the previous two), a major political figure in California who served as governor and senator of that state and as mayor of San Francisco, California.