Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic senator representing Maryland, is seeking to lead his party in the US Senate. A member of Congress since 2003, he has gained prominence through his opposition to President Donald Trump during the president’s second term. His recent activities have included a visit to a mistakenly deported Maryland resident and efforts to scrutinise Israeli actions.
Van Hollen was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1959. His father was a Foreign Service officer who subsequently became the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs. His mother worked for both the Central Intelligence Agency and the US State Department.
In April 2025, Van Hollen travelled to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who had been mistakenly deported by the Trump administration. The trip brought attention to the senator’s involvement in the case. Abrego Garcia was ultimately returned to the United States.
Another overseas visit took Van Hollen to Egypt’s border with Gaza in August 2025. Accompanied by fellow US Senator Jeff Merkley, he went to the Rafah crossing while Israel was resisting efforts to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
Van Hollen has been a leading advocate for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza and its violations in the occupied West Bank. He has repeatedly sought strict accountability for Israeli actions and called for conditions to be attached to US military assistance to Israel.
In September, he forced a Senate vote on a resolution seeking reports from the Trump administration on two issues: the killing of nine Americans in the occupied West Bank and Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children held in military detention. The measure would have required the administration to provide those reports.
The resolution was defeated by a vote of 47 to 53. Senators largely divided along party lines, leaving Van Hollen without the votes needed to secure the reporting requirements he had sought through the measure.
His bid to lead Senate Democrats follows these challenges to the administration over deportation and its handling of issues involving Israel. It also comes after more than two decades in Congress, where he has served since 2003.
