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Christopher A. Coons

Democrat junior Senator of Delaware

  • Senator

    Delaware

    November 15, 2010 - January 3, 2015

  • Senator

    Delaware

    January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2021

  • Senator

    Delaware

    January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2027

202-224-5042

@ChrisCoons

coons.senate.gov

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8

Congresses Served

3

Senate Terms

January 1, 1963 (61 years old)

Birthday

  • Serving as the junior United States senator since 2010
  • Previously served as county executive of New Castle County from 2005 to 2010
  • Graduated from Amherst College and received graduate degrees from Yale Divinity School and Yale Law School
  • Worked as a volunteer relief worker in Kenya and for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York
  • Served as president of the New Castle County Council from 2001 to 2005
  • Balanced the county budget with a surplus in fiscal year 2010 by cutting spending and raising taxes
  • Maintained a AAA bond rating for New Castle County during his tenure
  • Defeated the Republican nominee in the 2010 Senate special election
  • Elected to a full term in 2014 and re-elected in subsequent elections
  • Chairs the Senate Ethics Committee and serves on several other committees including Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Co-chaired the National Prayer Breakfasts in 2017 and 2019 and co-chairs the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast
  • Described by The New York Times as an “effective” emissary to Republican lawmakers during Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign
  • Will become Delaware’s senior senator in January 2025
  • Involved in politics from a young age, initially supporting Republican candidates before switching to the Democratic Party in college
  • Worked for several nonprofits and served on various boards, including the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service
  • Has a background in law, having clerked for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and worked as in-house counsel for a materials manufacturing company
  • Has a strong interest in foreign policy, having served as ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs
  • Advocates for child abuse victims, healthcare, and environmental issues, among other policy areas
  • Has a history of bipartisan engagement and is considered one of President Biden’s closest allies in the Senate