U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen was one of the quiet winners in Tuesday’s elections.
Not only did Van Hollen win a third term in Congress, he is also being praised for his work in helping the Democrats retake the House for the first time since 1994. Van Hollen, 47, chaired the Democrats’ congressional recruiting committee.
With the Democrats now firmly in control, Van Hollen said he looks forward to “asking the hard questions of the administration.” And as a member of the Education Workforce, Government Reform and Judiciary Committees, Van Hollen is in a rare position to do just that.
“When you’re in the minority, you don’t have the power to even hold a hearing,” Van Hollen said. “One of the things that will change immediately is the fact that the House of Representatives will begin to hold the Bush administration accountable. You’ll see a numberof hearings on a whole range of issues.”
Bill Burton, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Van Hollen was “an overall, do-everything player.” Van Hollen also raised millions for candidates through the party’s “Red to Blue” program.
“Chris played a critical role in helping Democrats regain the majority,” U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said.
Democratic consultant Andy Fois said that Van Hollen was “instrumental” in Tuesday’s victory. “Chris is an up-and-coming star in the Democratic congressional firmament,” Fois said.
The son of an American diplomat, Van Hollen was born in Karachi, Pakistan. His father’s job took the young man to Turkey, Sri Lanka and India. Van Hollen has spent most of his adult life in politics.
A graduate of Georgetown law school and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Van Hollen was a legislative aide in the 1980s before winning election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1991.
Van Hollen downplayed his own role in the Democrats’ victory. He said that an increasingly unpopular war — and president — made the recruiting easier. “In many cases, candidates came to us,” he said.
