Jim Forsythe is currently serving his first term as state Senator from District 4. He was elected in November of 2010 and is the Vice Chair of the Education committee, and a member of the Transportation Committee.

During the 2011 legislative session, he was the driving force behind two education reform bills - one that changed the teacher non-renewal statutes, and another that enabled parents to opt their children out of objectionable material. Additionally , the senator helped pass legislation enabling property owners to unmerge lots that had been involuntarily merged. He also co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation, including: Right to Work, Medical Marijuana, and RGGI repeal.

Prior to entering politics, Forsythe was an Aircraft Commander piloting KC-135s for the Air Force flying combat support missions for operations in Bosnia, Somalia and Iraq. He subsequently earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and became a Professor at the USAF Academy.

After leaving the Air Force in 2003, he moved to New Hampshire and became a part-owner of a small aerospace software company. He lives in Strafford and works at the University of New Hampshire teaching thermodynamics and physics as an affiliate professor.