Rep. Chris Van Hollen will run for Senate in Maryland to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, he announced Wednesday.
“The promise of America is that every individual — regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation — will be given an equal opportunity to succeed and prosper,” Van Hollen wrote on Facebook. “We have fallen short on that promise. I believe that one of the key challenges of our time is the struggle to make sure that America works for all its citizens, not just the wealthy few.”
Mikulski announced this week that she will retire at the end of her term, setting off a round of speculation about who might succeed her. There has not been an open Senate seat in Maryland since 2006, when Sen. Ben Cardin won his seat.
Van Hollen, a top Democrat who serves as the ranking member on the House Budget Committee, has long been viewed as a potential successor to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, should she retire. But Pelosi has made no moves to leave her post, and the House is firmly in Republican control. Meanwhile, Van Hollen got his start in politics as a staffer for Maryland Sen. Charles “Mac” Mathias and to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he has long harbored aspirations to become a senator himself.
Although the eventual Democratic nominee will have an edge in the blue state of Maryland, Van Hollen will likely face a competitive Democratic primary. Although former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a likely candidate for president, said he will forego a bid for Senate, Reps. Donna Edwards and Elijah Cummings are among those who have expressed interest in bids.
Van Hollen seems to be prepared for a fight. He has roughly $1.7 million in his campaign account, much more than he would have needed to win re-election to his safe House seat.
