Meet Jim Himes
Since his election to Congress in 2008, Jim Himes has served as a thoughtful, independent leader who’s delivered for working families while standing up for our values.
Born in Peru to American parents, Jim spent his childhood in Peru and Colombia, where his father worked for the Ford Foundation. At the age of 10, Jim and his two sisters moved to New Jersey with their mother, Judy, who was the Director of Board Activities for the New Jersey Board of Higher Education.
A product of New Jersey public schools, Jim later attended Harvard University where he was the captain of the lightweight crew team, and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Latin American studies.
Jim’s professional career began at Goldman Sachs & Co, where he worked extensively in Latin America. Eventually, he became a Vice President and after 12 years in the private sector, Jim went on to run the New York City branch of the Enterprise Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the challenges of urban poverty and financing the construction of thousands of affordable housing units in the greater New York metropolitan area.
Jim has a long record of service to his community as a Commissioner and Board Chairman of the Greenwich Housing Authority, an elected member of the Greenwich Board of Finance, and Board Member both past and present of the Bridgeport-based Aspira of Connecticut, which promotes educational achievement for Latino youth, the Children’s Learning Center of Fairfield County, the Fairfield County Community Foundation, and Family Assets, Inc.
A lifetime of experience has taught Jim how to deliver results for hard-working Connecticut families – growing our economy and creating jobs while addressing disparity in our communities, improving, and repairing our infrastructure, investing in new technologies, protecting our environment, and improving our schools.
Jim is deeply committed to defending our democracy and ensuring peaceful transitions of power for generations to come. He was in the chamber of the House on January 6th, where he experienced firsthand the dangers of political extremism. As lead Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, he works with our intelligence agencies to combat malicious interference from both foreign and domestic actors.
In Congress, Jim works hard every day to find bipartisan solutions and deliver for Connecticut residents. Along with serving as Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, he is a senior member of the House Committee on Financial Services, and previously chaired the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth.
Jim and his wife Mary raised their two children Emma and Linley, in Cos Cob where they have lived for nearly 30 years.
A Tradition of Service
A Congressman with a record of delivering results for the people of Connecticut
An experienced leader in the private and public sector, with 12 years in business and five years in the non-profit world advocating for affordable housing
Serves our community as a Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and a Member of the House Committee on Financial Services. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth.
Brings a commonsense, independent, and bipartisan approach to secure solutions to our most pressing problems
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.