Van Hollen Makes It Official

There was never any doubt that U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) would seek a second term. Through the end of 2021, he had raised just shy of $5 million for his campaign. But now that Hogan has formally decided against challenging Van Hollen, the senator is making his reelection bid official. He’s expected to file campaign papers at the Maryland State Board of Elections in Annapolis on Tuesday, and his campaign is releasing a two-minute video with Van Hollen discussing the nation’s struggles of the recent past and the challenges ahead. “Since Joe Biden was sworn in, we’ve taken bold action to help Americans weather the storm and start to tackle the challenges we face,” Van Hollen says in the campaign spot. Van Hollen says he likes to operate in a bipartisan manner, but also has harsh words for Senate Republicans and the obstructionist tactics of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “The test of whether we take important action can’t be whether Mitch McConnell agrees or disagrees,” Van Hollen says. Since first winning a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1990, Van Hollen has never lost an election. And with Hogan out of the picture, his perfect electoral record is almost certain to remain intact.

Watch here.