Christopher Van Hollen

Democrat senior Senator of Maryland

Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 7, 2003 - January 3, 2005
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 4, 2005 - January 3, 2007
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 4, 2007 - January 3, 2009
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2011
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
Maryland, district 8
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Senator
Maryland
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2023
Senator
Maryland
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2029

202-224-4654

@ChrisVanHollen

vanhollen.senate.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

Senate Terms

January 1, 1959 (66 years old)

Birthday

American attorney and politician serving as a junior United States senator since 2017
Served as the U.S. representative for Maryland’s 8th congressional district from 2003 to 2017
Chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from 2007 to 2011
Created and held the leadership post of Assistant to the Speaker from 2006
Elected ranking member on the Budget Committee in 2010
Appointed to the bipartisan Committee on Deficit Reduction in 2011 and a bicameral conference committee in 2013
Ran for the United States Senate in 2016, winning the seat and succeeding Barbara Mikulski
Re-elected to the Senate in 2022
Chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) from 2017 to 2019
Born in Karachi, Pakistan to American parents involved in diplomatic and intelligence services
Spent parts of his early life in Pakistan, Turkey, India, and Sri Lanka
Graduated from Swarthmore College with a BA in philosophy, earned a master of public policy from Harvard University, and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center
Worked as a legislative assistant and advisor in various capacities before joining the Maryland General Assembly, serving in both the House of Delegates and the State Senate
Led efforts in the Maryland State Legislature on issues like tobacco tax, oil drilling prohibition in Chesapeake Bay, gun safety, and funding for education and healthcare
Advocated for federal employees, education funding, and transportation initiatives during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives
Formed a congressional caucus on the Netherlands and advocated for various policies including green energy, gun control, healthcare, and journalism protection
Supports LGBTQIA+ rights, including opposing a military ban on transgender individuals
Advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy and opposes eliminating the federal estate tax
Married with three children, of Dutch descent, and practices the Episcopalian faith
Experienced a minor stroke in 2022 but expected to make a full recovery with no long-term effects