Who is US Senator Chris Van Hollen?

United States Senator Chris Van Hollen has declared that he is running for Senate majority leader as Democrats prepare to take charge of the US Congress in January following a Democratic landslide in this month’s midterm elections.

Van Hollen said in a post on X late on Thursday that Americans had “called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption”.

list of 3 items

list 1 of 3US lawmakers urge Trump team to free American student held by Israel
list 2 of 3US Senate blocks resolution seeking report on Americans killed in West Bank
list 3 of 3Mississippi elects first black senator in nearly 150 years

end of list

“To deliver, we need new leadership,” he said, adding that “this isn’t about any one person – it’s about answering that call”.

“That’s why I’m running,” he said.

Who is Chris Van Hollen?

He is a Democratic senator from Maryland who has been in Congress since 2003, rising to prominence for his opposition in the second term of US President Donald Trump.

Van Hollen was born in 1959 in Karachi, Pakistan. His father was a Foreign Service officer who later served as the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs.

His mother worked at the Central Intelligence Agency and the US State Department.

Senator Chris Van Hollen speaks outside the US State Department after it announced more than 1,350 job cuts under the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency plan [File: Kristen Talman/Al Jazeera] — Senator Chris Van Hollen speaks outside the US State Department after it announced more than 1,350 job cuts under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency plan [File: Kristen Talman/Al Jazeera]

Why is he running for Senate majority leader?

Van Hollen has had mounting calls to enter the race for Senate majority leader amid growing opposition to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer‘s continued tenure over criticism of his handling of the Democratic caucus during the Trump presidency.

US Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan has said he will not support Schumer as the majority leader in the Senate and welcomed Van Hollen’s decision to run.

In a post on X, El-Sayed said: “I called on Sen. Chris Van Hollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience.

“We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority,” El-Sayed said.

What is Van Hollen known for?

El Salvador visit

In April 2025, Van Hollen drew attention when he travelled to El Salvador to meet a Maryland resident mistakenly deported by the Trump administration, in a case which ultimately saw Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the United States.

West Bank killings

In September, Van Hollen forced a vote on a resolution that would have required the Trump administration to report on the killing of nine Americans in the occupied West Bank and on Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children in military detention. The resolution failed 47-53, with senators voting largely along party lines.

US Senators Jeff Merkley, in white cap, and Chris Van Hollen, in blue cap, inspect the Rafah border crossing with North Sinai Governor Major General Khaled Megaour in Rafah, Egypt [File: Ali Moustafa/Getty Images]

Rafah crossing visit

In August 2025, Van Hollen accompanied US Senator Jeff Merkley to the Rafah crossing at Egypt’s border with Gaza as Israel continued to prevent humanitarian aid delivery to Palestinians in the enclave.

Criticism of Israel

Van Hollen has repeatedly challenged Washington’s relationship with Israel and has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “chronic liar“. He told Al Jazeera earlier this year that the US-Israel war on Iran “is making America and our allies less safe”.

Van Hollen has been one of the foremost advocates for ending Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and violations in the occupied West Bank.

He has consistently pushed for strict accountability for Israeli actions and for restricting US military assistance to Israel.