CT Patch Candidate Profile: Jim Himes For 4th Congressional District

CONNECTICUT — The 2022 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats, plus one U.S. Senate seat, are up for grabs as well.

The 4th Congressional District race is between longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Himes and former Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson. The district primarily covers Fairfield County.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jim Himes, a Cos Cob, Connecticut resident, is running for Congress 4th Congressional District

Campaign website

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

I attended New Jersey public schools and went to Harvard University where I was the captain of the lightweight crew team, and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where I earned a master’s degree in Latin American studies. My professional career began at Goldman Sachs & Co, where I worked extensively in Latin America. After 12 years in the private sector, I 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. In 2008, I was elected to congress where I work hard to represent the people of Connecticut’s Fourth District.

Occupation

Member of Congress

Family

I live in Cos Cob with my wonderful wife, Mary, and our two daughters, Emma who lives in New York, and Linley who is in college.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

56

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes, I have been a Member of Congress representing Connecticut’s Fourth District since 2008, and before that, I was a member of the Greenwich Housing Authority and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am honored to represent the Fourth District in Congress. Southwest Connecticut is one of the best places in America to live. My office helps thousands of constituents a year – people whose Medicare coverage has lapsed, businesses that need support, nonprofits, and community colleges in need of funding to support their initiatives among others. Businesses are popping up across our community, highways are being improved, sidewalks are being fixed, we’re protecting our coastlines and addressing flooding issues, delivering funding for manufacturing and trade programs, investing in new technologies, and creating jobs. Families are still facing challenges and businesses are still recovering, and the problems facing our country and our part of Connecticut are complicated. There is still work to be done and I would be honored to continue representing our community in Congress.
Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The wealthiest country in the world is still not creating enough economic opportunities for all Americans. Except at the very top of the income distribution, Americans are struggling too hard to get into and stay in the middle class. I have been privileged to serve as Chairman of the House Committee on Economic Disparity where we are focusing on the foundations of prosperity: making housing affordable to more Americans, making sure every American has affordable access to the education and training they need to succeed and investing in those geographies that have been abandoned for generations.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

This is a moment for clarity and for pragmatic leaders who not only understand the issues we face but more importantly who know how to address them. I know how to represent my constituents, I know how the process works, and I have used that knowledge to consistently deliver real, impactful change at both the state and federal levels. Clarity is critical: I will not waver in my commitment to the democracy that elements of my opponent’s party has put at risk, or in my support for the freedoms, including a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices that my opponent’s party is attacking.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

One of the most critical issues we’re facing is women’s reproductive rights. I strongly support reproductive freedom and oppose efforts at the national or state level to limit female autonomy and access to healthcare. We are lucky that Connecticut remains a haven for those in need of abortion care, but it is heartbreaking that so many Americans have been stripped of this fundamental right.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The last year was one of the most effective ever in Congress. We passed the most significant piece of legislation in 30 years to address gun safety, we lowered healthcare costs and capped the price of insulin at $35, made the biggest investment to fight climate change in history, kept our promise to veterans exposed to toxins by expanding healthcare eligibility, made U.S. manufacturing more competitive by passing the CHIPS and Science Act, and created jobs. I was also proud to strengthen the ACA, saving 100,000 CT residents hundreds on healthcare premiums and providing affordable health coverage to 26,000 small businesses, as well as delivering over $5 billion to Connecticut for transportation and infrastructure repairs and improvements. In Congress, I’ll keep fighting to protect women’s rights, lower costs for working families, create opportunities and jobs for Americans, make our communities safer, and more.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Shut up and listen.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I spend an enormous amount of time as a member of the Intelligence Committee overseeing our efforts to combat terrorism, stop Chinese and Russian aggression, limit the violence of rogue states and counter the narcotics that flow into the US. I’ve traveled from Afghanistan and Colombia to Pakistan and Ukraine to work with America’s best to keep us safe.