Jim Himes

Jim Himes Bio

James Andrew Himes (born July 5, 1966) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 4th congressional district since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents a southwest Connecticut district that covers much of the Connecticut side of the New York metropolitan area, including Bridgeport, Norwalk, Fairfield, and Stamford. He is the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and also serves on the House Financial Services Committee. Before entering Congress, Himes worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.

Early Life and Background

James Andrew Himes was born on July 5, 1966, in Lima, Peru, to American parents. His father, James R. Himes, worked for the Ford Foundation in Lima and later served as the director of the UNICEF Innocenti Center, a research institute on child development in Florence, Italy. His mother, Judith A. Himes, served until recently as the director of board activities for the New Jersey Board of Higher Education in Trenton.

Himes spent his early childhood in Lima and Bogotá, Colombia. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and his two sisters to Pennington, New Jersey, where he attended and graduated from Hopewell Valley Central High School. He later attended Harvard College, where he captained the lightweight crew and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1988. Himes then studied Latin American studies as a Rhodes scholar at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, graduating with a Master of Philosophy in 1990.

Path to US Politics

After Oxford, Himes entered the private sector. In 1995, he began working at Goldman Sachs as a banker focused on Latin America and New York, and he was eventually promoted to vice president. His work in finance gave him experience with economic policy that later shaped his legislative priorities on the House Financial Services Committee.

Himes’s transition to public service began at the local level. He was appointed commissioner of the Greenwich Housing Authority in 2002 and served for two years as chairman of the board. He also served as a board member of Aspira of Connecticut in Bridgeport, a board member of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, and as an advisory board member of Family Assets, LLP of Bridgeport. He was an elected member of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation and chaired the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee before running for Congress.

Jim Himes Career

Early Career (2002–2008)

Himes built his early political resume in Greenwich through local civic roles and party leadership. As chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, he helped organize the local party and prepared for a potential congressional run. His housing authority work and community foundation service gave him direct experience with the economic and housing issues that affect southwestern Connecticut.

In 2008, Himes challenged ten-term Republican incumbent Chris Shays for Connecticut’s 4th congressional district. He defeated Shays 51% to 47%, winning the district’s three large cities of Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford. His victory was aided by Barack Obama’s strong performance in the district, where Obama won 60% of the vote. Himes took office in the 111th United States Congress on January 6, 2009, becoming the first Democrat to represent the district since 1969 and the second since 1943.

2008 Election Breakthrough

Himes’s defeat of Chris Shays was one of the most notable results of the 2008 cycle. Shays had been the sole Republican congressman from New England, and Himes’s win made New England’s House delegation entirely Democratic for the first time in history. The victory established Himes as a serious voice for the swing communities of lower Fairfield County.

He quickly earned seats on the House Financial Services Committee and, beginning in 2013, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. These committee assignments allowed him to focus on financial regulation, national security, and intelligence oversight throughout his early terms in office.

Reelection Campaigns and Committee Leadership (2010–Present)

Himes has won reelection eight times since his initial victory. In 2010, he defeated State Senator Dan Debicella, adding Redding, Weston, and Westport to his winning coalition. He beat Steve Obsitnik 60% to 40% in 2012, defeated Dan Debicella again in a 2014 rematch with 53.8% of the vote, and won 59.9% against John Shaban in 2016. He defeated Harry Arora 61.2% to 38.8% in 2018 and again won 61.2% in 2020 against Jonathan Riddle, Brian Merlen, and Yusheng Peng. In 2022, he defeated Jayme Stevenson 59.4% to 40.6%.

In 2023, Himes became the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He previously chaired the United States House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth and the National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. He also chaired the New Democrat Coalition during the 115th Congress from 2017 to 2019.

Notable Events and Milestones

Among his most prominent moments, Himes joined a bipartisan push in 2016 to convince Electoral College electors to refuse to vote for Donald Trump, citing concerns about Trump’s fitness for office. In 2022, he participated in the House intelligence committee’s first public hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena in more than 50 years, pressing the Pentagon for transparency. In March 2025, he was one of ten Democrats who voted with Republicans to censure Democratic congressman Al Green for interrupting President Trump’s State of the Union Address.

Jim Himes Career Wins

Since first winning his seat in 2008, James Andrew Himes has secured nine consecutive victories in Connecticut’s 4th congressional district. His winning coalitions have combined the district’s urban centers with growing margins in suburban communities across Fairfield County.

Congressional Election Highlights

Himes’s first win came in 2008 against longtime Republican incumbent Chris Shays. His most recent victory was the 2022 defeat of Jayme Stevenson, in which he captured 59.4% of the vote. Across his career, he has consistently built double-digit margins in the district’s largest cities, including Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford.

Other Wins and Achievements

Himes has also built a record of legislative and academic recognition. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Bridgeport on May 5, 2012. He has sponsored 75 bills during his time in Congress and has received 100% ratings from several advocacy organizations, including Environment America, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

Jim Himes Family

Family Background and Public Service Lineage

Himes was raised in a family with a strong record of international public service. His father, James R. Himes, worked for the Ford Foundation in Lima, Peru, and later directed the UNICEF Innocenti Center in Florence, Italy. His mother, Judith A. Himes, served as the director of board activities for the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. He has two sisters, and the family spent part of his early childhood in Bogotá, Colombia, before settling in Pennington, New Jersey.

Personal Life

On October 15, 1994, James Andrew Himes married Mary Lynley Scott, a designer. The couple lives in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut, with their two daughters.