James Ruttle is an Irish former politician. He was a Fianna Fáil member of Seanad Éireann from 1980 to 1981. He was nominated by the Taoiseach to the 14th Seanad on 20 June 1980 to fill vacancy created by the resignation of Michael Yeats. He did not contest the 1981 Seanad election. He was an unsuccessful Fianna Fáil candidate for the Wicklow constituency at the 1981 general election. In 1988 he was co-opted to replace the deceased Cllr Jim Miley by Fianna Fail, however he was not selected to run for the party in 1991 local elections.