DCCC picks Jim Himes for finance chairman

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has picked Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) to be its new finance chairman.

Himes replaces Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.), who is planning to run for governor.

"The DCCC is in our best financial position in years, and Jim Himes is the right person to build on our terrific operation so that we can wage a strong battle to roll back the Tea Party Republican House," DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "Over his career, Jim Himes has proven that he's deeply committed to strengthening the middle class — and he'll work relentlessly to elect more people to Congress who share our middle class values and defeat people who want to give more tax breaks to the well-connected."

Himes, a former Wall Street executive, represents one of the wealthiest districts in the country, giving him a strong fundraising base to build on for the DCCC. He's proven to be a strong fundraiser, bringing in more than $3.6 million for his 2010 reelection fight.

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