Who is Chris Van Hollen? Democrat throws hat in the ring, challenges Schumer for Senate leader after thumping midterm election win

Days after the Democrats handed US President Donald Trump’s Republican party a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, US Senator Chris Van Hollen said that he would challenge Chuck Schumer for his job as Democratic Senate leader.

As Hollen threw his hat in the ring, it ignited discussions about bringing a wave of fresh leadership to the upper chamber of Congress after the Democrats' thumping victory. The announcement from Hollen, 67, has also apparently paved a way for an internal party clash after the Democrats reclaimed the control of both chambers of Congress.

"In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption. To deliver, we need new leadership," he wrote on X. "That's why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader."


According to news agency AFP, long-term Democratic Senate leader Schumer, 75, has faced calls from some of his party leaders to step down and make way for new leadership after it reclaimed control of the 100-seat chamber in the November 3 elections. But Van Hollen is the first senator to openly challenge him.

Van Hollen has backing from some Democrat leaders

Hollen has thrown a challenge for Schumer, and he also has backing from some of the more vocal progressives within the party. Senator Bernie Sanders, a left-wing independent who aligns with the Democrats, said this week that he would not support Schumer in continuing his role, AFP reported.

In a post on X, newly-elected Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan said that he also backed Van Hollen. Schumer said he welcomed discussion about the future of the party, but insisted: "I have the votes to continue serving as the Democratic Leader." "I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people," he wrote on X.

What we know about Chris Van Hollen

Democrat Chris Van Hollen is a member of the U.S. Senate from Maryland. He assumed office on January 3, 2017, and his current term is set to end on January 3, 2029. He ran for re-election to the US Senate to represent Maryland and won in the general election in 2022.

From 2002 to 2017, Hollen was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Maryland's 8th Congressional District. According to Ballotpedia, while he was part of the House, he chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2007 to 2011

Born in 1959 in Karachi, Pakistan, Hollen served as a member of both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate before kicking off his congressional career. His father worked as a foreign service officer.

As far as his education is concerned, he went to Swarthmore College and earned his bachelor's degree in 1982. He completed his master's degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985. In 1990, he earned his law degree from Georgetown Law School. He had also worked as an attorney.