You'll recall from two years ago that Connecticut's statewide primary elections are unusually late, and this year is no exception. Back down in my parents' district -- CT-04 -- and all throughout Connecticut, today is primary day.

Jim Himes, the progressive Democrat poised to take out Chris Shays -- aka the last remaining Republican congressman in New England -- in CT-04 this November, does have a primary opponent he needs to dispatch. While Jim was endorsed for the Democratic nomination at the Democratic state convention in May, Lee Whitnum forced the primary election via petition. Whitnum's remarkable lack of a resume or any fundraising to speak of makes one wonder why she would even bother, but the Himes campaign is taking the challenge seriously, as they should.

First of all, this primary is going to be an extremely low turnout election, so nothing can be taken for granted. But also, this primary is an opportunity. The more people who do turn out for Jim today, the bigger a warning shot he can deliver to Shays. It's also a chance to raise Jim's profile in the district. All today, Jim will be greeting voters at various voting locations throughout the district (you can see the schedule HERE) and he'll be joining supporters at a results watching party tonight at The Black Bear Saloon in Norwalk after polls close at 8pm.

In addition, today's primary has given newspapers an excuse to write primary endorsement editorials and, well, you can't buy the sort of write-up Jim got from The Darien News-Review on Friday:

Jim Himes is uniquely qualified to serve as our representative in Washington. A Rhodes Scholar, a former Goldman Sachs VP, and currently an executive at the nonprofit group Enterprise Community Partners, Jim has spent the last several years using his considerable talents to bring out the best in our community.

At Enterprise, Jim helped transform neighborhoods throughout the metropolitan region by leading the effort to build thousands of affordable housing units, many of which made use of green technologies to reduce utility costs. Jim understands that we can create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and preserve our environment by making a commitment to building green and investing in new technology. [...]

Most impressive has been the integrity and character Jim has displayed throughout his campaign. He speaks from the heart, and he brings new ideas and fresh energy to bear on the challenges we face. For all these reasons we believe Jim Himes will be an outstanding Congressman and he has earned our enthusiastic support.

So, if you're in the district, don't forget to vote for Jim today (find polling place HERE.) If you're not in the district, you can still support Jim by contributing to Jim Himes for Congress to help send the last Republican from New England left in the House packing and give my parents some real representation in congress for a change. Also, check out some primary day pics over at the Jim Himes blog.