Re-elect Rep. Chris Van Hollen to Congress

Congressman Van Hollen was first elected to Congress in 2002 in a high profile election that received national attention and has quickly earned a reputation as an active, engaged and effective member of Congress. In his 2002 campaign, he built a strong local grassroots network and became one of only two Democratic challengers to unseat a Republican incumbent. 

As Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Cong. Van Hollen successfully guided House Democrats to expanding their Congressional Majority just two years after winning it. Under his leadership, Democrats gained 24 seats in the House in 2008. This marked the first time in history that a party won back-to-back wave elections. 

In December 2008, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Cong. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will serve in an expanded role as Chairman of the DCCC and Assistant to the Speaker for the 2009-2010 election cycle. This marks Cong. Van Hollen’s second term leading the DCCC.

 

In addition to leading the DCCC and serving as Assistant to the Speaker, Cong. Van Hollen serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee as well as the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is a strong advocate for investing in green energy, strengthening education, and restoring accountability and transparency in the legislative process. He is the Vice Chairman of the bipartisan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, Co-Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Task Force on Budget and Tax Policy.

 

Cong. Van Hollen has received numerous awards for his leadership. He was honored as “Outstanding New Member of the Year” from the Committee for Education Funding (CEF). He also received the “Outstanding Leadership Award” from the American Lung Association, for efforts to strengthen the Clean Air Act and discourage youth smoking.

 

Before his election to the U.S. Congress, Cong. Van Hollen served 12 years in the Maryland General Assembly. Earlier, he was a Professional Staff Member on the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee specializing in national security and a range of foreign policy issues.  Cong. Van Hollen received an undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.  He lives in Kensington, Maryland with his wife, Katherine, and their three children, Anna, Nicholas and Alexander.