Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, one of the most prominent critics of the war in Gaza, is emerging as one of the most important names proposed to compete with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer for the party leadership, amid the Democrats' significant gains in the midterm elections, according to Politico.
Many Democrats are pushing for Van Hollen's candidacy to lead the Democrats in the House, amid calls for a change in leadership, despite the many achievements the party achieved in the last election.
Van Hollen is 67 years old. He has held elected office continuously since 1991, gradually rising through the ranks of the Democratic Party leadership in the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate in 2017.
In 2024, Van Hollen accused Israel and its leaders of committing "war crimes" in the Gaza Strip, with reports emerging of infants and young children "starving to death," and he urged President Joe Biden to intervene.