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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Ferndale, Mich., July 25, 2026.
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
“Chris Van Who?”
The question didn’t answer itself when a staffer for the likely next speaker of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, asked it in September 2025. Jeffries’s aides underscored the Maryland senator’s obscurity in response to Van Hollen’s critique of New York’s Democratic establishment. The senator contended that Empire State Democrats were too slow to endorse ’s bid for New York City mayor.
About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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“Chris Van Who?”
The question didn’t answer itself when a staffer for the likely next speaker of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, asked it in September 2025. Jeffries’s aides underscored the Maryland senator’s obscurity in response to Van Hollen’s critique of New York’s Democratic establishment. The senator contended that Empire State Democrats were too slow to endorse ’s bid for New York City mayor.
About the Author
Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.
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