The Democrat Party may have another possible candidate looking to throw their hat into the 2028 Presidential Race.
In a recent interview, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland revealed he’s currently testing the waters on whether he has a real shot in running for President.
Van Hollen who has been a Senator since 2017, has already visited both New Hampshire and Iowa which signals the Senator from Maryland isn’t just floating out the idea of running but is putting the work in.
NBC News provided the full scoop on Van Hollen possibly running for President:
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he’s “kicking the tires” on a potential 2028 presidential bid.
ADVERTISEMENT“We need to be against the status quo, and that’s why I’ve been kicking the tires as I look at 2028 because I don’t think the Democratic Party has answered the call about how we’re going to make sure we have an economy that really does work for everybody, especially working people,” he said.
The senator’s comments came as he was pressed on whether he is interested in challenging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as the chamber’s party leader, if Democrats retake the Senate this fall.
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether he was interested in the position, Van Hollen said that his focus was “not on majority leader, it’s on what Democrats stand for going into 2028.”
Van Hollen, a longtime member of Congress, has been a prominent critic of the Trump administration and has pushed for Democrats to provide a clear alternative to the Republican Party’s agenda. He has previously said he is “kicking the tires” in considering a potential 2028 run, acknowledging the possibility of a presidential campaign to NOTUS and at the Hill Nation Summit, an annual event put on by The Hill and NewsNation.
Asked to clarify on “Meet the Press” whether his “kicking the tires” comments meant he was thinking about running, he noted that he has been to New Hampshire and Iowa, which have historically been the first two nominating states. In 2028, New Hampshire will still be an early nominating state, but Iowa was pushed out of the early window.
“I think there’s a great deal of churning within the Democratic party, and I support that,” he said. “As I said, I think we need this healthy debate because I don’t think Democrats have put forward a clear alternative to the Trump administration.”
Pushed again on whether he was considering running for president, Van Hollen said, “Democrats need to be very clear not just what we’re against, but what we’re for.”
“I very much want to be part of that debate, and I am kicking the tires, testing the waters,” he said.
Here’s the moment he said it:
Chris Van Hollen says he’s "been kicking the tires" on 2028.
MTP: "Meaning you're thinking about running for president in 2028?"
VAN HOLLEN: "Meaning I've been to New Hampshire…invited to go out to Iowa…I am kicking the tires, testing the waters." pic.twitter.com/9G8twMzjxI
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 23, 2026
The Hill reported later in the interview Van Hollen shared his thoughts on the Democratic Socialists of America possibly endorsing him:
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Sunday did not shoot down a possible endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), but the Democratic lawmaker added that he “certainly isn’t seeking it.”
“I’m not going to sort of look into all these endorsements. I’m not going to reject an endorsement by certain individuals at the DSA. But I’m certainly not seeking the endorsement from the DSA,” Van Hollen told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
The Maryland senator added that he believed that the recent debate among Democrats about the DSA “is an effort by Republicans” attempting “to reduce, you know, the turnout for Democrats.”
“I don’t think it’s going to work, because at the end of the day what unites Democrats is economic populism, standing up for working people,” he continued.
In the last few months, democratic socialist and progressive candidates have racked up wins in Democratic primaries against more establishment and moderate candidates. Van Hollen backed one of those candidates, Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan.
WELKER: Do you think democratic socialists have a place in the Democratic Party?
VAN HOLLEN: Yes they do as part of the debate. I think that those in the Democratic Party who are afraid of a healthy debate are missing the point, because Democratic voters do not want a return to… pic.twitter.com/gcwmM256Ct
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 23, 2026
What are your thoughts?
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
