Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a sharp critic of President Trump, is mulling over running for his job in 2028.
The Maryland Democrat told the “On NOTUS” podcast this week that he’s “kicking the tires” on a presidential campaign.
“If you’re asking me whether I think Democrats need to shake things up, you bet I do. I visited New Hampshire, kind of kicking the tires a little bit,” he said Wednesday. “It’s pretty clear that operating from within the confines of the halls of Congress is not a successful recipe for actually getting change. Too often, we are in a bubble.”
Mr. Van Hollen was a keynote speaker at the Cheshire County Democrats’ annual fundraiser. New Hampshire is the traditional first-in-the-nation primary state, serving as a critical testing ground.
The two-term senator said he’s pushing for “dramatic change” in Washington.
He gained national attention for trying to engineer the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran whose deportation to a prison in El Salvador sparked a major legal battle.
Mr. Van Hollen then ripped the Trump administration’s “stupid” decision to go to war with Iran and spoke out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said a Democratic presidential candidate should “believe in a United States foreign policy,” arguing that Obama and Biden administration senior officials should acknowledge “mistakes” in world affairs.
Van Hollen is not the only Maryland Democrat joining the chatter about a presidential campaign. Gov. Wes Moore has been increasingly identified as a potential contender even as he continues to deny any presidential ambitions.
Mr. Moore’s campaign spokesperson, Carter Elliott IV, referred Bethesda Matters to the governor’s previous statements about being focused on reelection this fall. When asked about Mr. Van Hollen considering a presidential run, Mr. Elliott said, “No comment.”
Mr. Van Hollen, who served seven terms in the state House before starting his tenure on Capitol Hill, could be up against high-profile Democrats seeking the party’s nomination.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Vice President Kamala Harris have all teased their presidential consideration. At the same time, Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have seen their names tossed around.
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