Van Hollen/AP Photo; Insider
Sen. Chris Van Hollen is running against Republican Chris Chaffee to represent Maryland in the US Senate.
Chaffee is a perennial candidate who’s run for various offices in Maryland over the past decade.
Chaffee has not reported any fundraising activity.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Chris Van Hollen faces off against Republican Chris Chaffee in Maryland to represent the state in the US Senate.
Maryland’s Senate race candidates
Van Hollen, first elected in 2016, is running for a second term. He currently serves on the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Budget.
Van Hollen recovered from a stroke earlier this year to resume his Senate service full-time.
His top priorities include job creation, strengthening small businesses, and increasing educational and job training opportunities, as posted on his website.
Prior to being elected to the US Senate, Van Hollen represented Maryland’s 8th Congressional District in the US House. He also served as a member of both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate.
Chaffee, his challenger, is a perennial candidate who’s run in various races in Maryland over the past decade. He is campaigning on addressing inflation, securing the border, and energy independence.
Scott Griffin, a write-in candidate, is also running in the general election.
Maryland’s voting history
The state voted for Joe Biden over then-President Donald Trump by a margin of 33 percentage points in the 2020 election. Since 1960, Maryland has voted Republican only in the landslide wins of President Richard Nixon in 1972, President Ronald Reagan in 1984, and President George H. W. Bush in 1988. The state has, however, elected Republican governors — departing Gov. Larry Hogan, who is term-limited after two terms, is a member of the GOP, although he opposes Trump.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Van Hollen has raised $8.5 million, spent $6.7 million, and has $2.3 million cash on hand, as of October 19. His challenger, Chaffee, has not reported any fundraising activity.
What experts say
The race between Van Hollen and Chaffee is rated as “solid Democratic” by Inside Elections, “solid Democratic” by The Cook Political Report, and “safe Democratic” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.