Christopher Coons

Christopher Andrew Coons is a Democratic U.S. Senator from Delaware, first elected in a special election on November 2, 2010, to fill the seat vacated by Joe Biden. Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, he was raised in Hockessin, Delaware, and attended Amherst College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and political science in 1985. He later received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School in 1992. Before his time in the Senate, Coons worked as an attorney for W.L. Gore & Associates and served in local government as the President of the New Castle County Council from 2001 to 2005 and as New Castle County Executive from 2005 to 2010. Since his election to the Senate, Coons has become a prominent member of several committees, including Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He has also served as the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. His legislative work often focuses on manufacturing, global health, and intellectual property, and he is known for his efforts to foster bipartisan cooperation on complex policy issues.

Senator Coons generally aligns with Democratic Party priorities while emphasizing bipartisan legislative strategies. In healthcare, he supports the Affordable Care Act and has advocated for policies to lower prescription drug costs and expand Medicaid access. His economic positions focus on strengthening American manufacturing, supporting the Research and Development tax credit, and providing resources for small business innovation. On environmental policy, he co-chairs the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and supports global conservation initiatives and clean energy development to address climate change. In foreign policy, Coons is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and supports a strong U.S.-Israel partnership, while also advocating for humanitarian aid and human rights protections, particularly in Africa. Regarding social and judicial issues, he has supported criminal justice reform such as the First Step Act, gun safety legislation, and protections for DACA recipients and DREAMers.