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Md.'s Van Hollen Goes National
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As one of two Democrats to knock off a Republican House incumbent that year, Van Hollen turned heads. Within three years, he was selected to lead candidate recruitment for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In December 2006, the incoming speaker, Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), asked him to run the committee.
In many ways, Van Hollen inherited a favorable political environment. The Democrats' control of Congress made it easier to raise money. As of Sept. 20, the most recent filing date, the DCCC had $54 million on hand -- four times the amount of its Republican counterpart. Democrats have to defend six open seats, compared with 29 for the Republicans.
Even Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), head of the Republicans' House campaign committee, calls this "a Democratic year," although he promises a vigorous fight. Van Hollen, he said, "should be pretty proud of the job he's done."
In this election year, however, many voters are focused on the presidential candidates, rather than races further down the ticket.
"The challenge is to cut through the clutter," Van Hollen said.
To do that, the Democrats' House campaign committee probably will spend twice the $9 million it dedicated to grass-roots efforts in the last election, officials said. Their door-knocking and phone-calling campaign began in April, four months earlier than in the previous cycle.
"Now Republicans have to spend their money defending their incumbents instead of going after our own," Van Hollen said.
In Albuquerque, he strolled through a party office buzzing with volunteers phoning voters.
"That's a great operation! I'm impressed," he declared.
Before going to Congress, Van Hollen was one of the most liberal legislators at the State House in Annapolis. But on the national stage, he has proved to be a pragmatist, as shown in his party's choice of candidates.
Heinrich, for example, is pro-gun rights; Van Hollen gained passage of a first-in-the-nation trigger lock law in Maryland.
Some liberals accuse the Democrats of jettisoning their principles by recruiting anti-abortion and pro-gun rights candidates to run in conservative areas.
