Christopher Van Hollen
Democrat junior 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
11
Congresses Served
7
House Terms
2
Senate Terms
January 1, 1959 (65 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