Meet Chris

Father. Husband. Senator.

Senator Chris Coons has earned a reputation as a principled progressive and pragmatic lawmaker, focused on some of the most important issues confronting Delaware and the nation. His commitment to making a difference for everyday Americans has earned Chris praise from the Washington Post, which proclaimed that Chris has “emerged as a thoughtful senator” and is one of the senators “who makes you feel good about politics.”

Serving on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and Ethics committees, Chris is uniquely positioned to help nurture American innovation and make the United States more competitive in the global market.

During Donald Trump’s presidency, Chris fought against the worst aspects of Trump’s agenda. He opposed Trump’s border wall, Trump’s unfunded tax breaks for the wealthy, Trump’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and many of Trump’s nominations. And Chris led the fight in the Senate  to rescind Trump’s Muslim ban with the NO BAN Act. 

While much of Washington was focused on the latest manufactured crisis or Twitter scandal, Chris remained committed to finding creative solutions to address pressing issues for Delawareans and the country. His efforts to build consensus and deliver results led The Hill & GovTrack to name him one of the top three most productive senators. 

A champion of American jobs that build a strong, thriving middle class, Chris strongly supports, protecting the rights of workers and unions and requiring equal pay for equal work. And Chris has been taking on the tough issues, like ending childhood poverty with a bill to dramatically expand the Child Tax Credit — which Vox calls “the single most important bill of the 116th Congress for the country’s poorest residents.”

In May 2018, Chris proudly joined Democratic leaders in introducing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act — a landmark bill to protect workers’ right to organize. Chris also helped launch the Manufacturing Jobs for America initiative to advance bipartisan bills that support job creation, the U.S. manufacturing sector, and entrepreneurship. 

Chris has been a life-long advocate for social justice and equality. Chris has spoken out and fought for women’s health, access to reproductive health care, and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. He’s earned a 100 percent score from the Human Rights Campaign for his advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community and their families. Chris also worked closely with Senator Cory Booker to pass bipartisan criminal justice reform that was signed into law.

Chris has seen the human costs of addiction for families and communities across Delaware, and it has motivated him to work tirelessly with Republicans and Democrats to help those struggling with opioid addiction. In 2018, Chris’ efforts led to the passage of a comprehensive bill to combat the epidemic.

Getting things done is what Chris does for Delaware and working families in the Senate — and it’s what he has always done.

Before joining the Senate, Chris spent a decade of successful service in New Castle County government. As New Castle County Council President and New Castle County Executive, he earned a reputation for delivering real results on behalf of Delawareans, preserving critical community services while protecting the county’s finances during the least stable national economic climate in decades.

Prior to serving as County Executive, Chris worked as an attorney for Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates, an innovative, science-based business, where he helped the company expand. Chris previously worked for the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, helping at-risk youth stay in school, get to college and build their lives, and with the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Chris is a graduate of Amherst College with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and political science, taking a semester to study abroad at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He earned a law degree from Yale Law School while simultaneously earning a master’s degree in ethics from Yale Divinity School.

Chris grew up in the Pike Creek and Hockessin areas and lives in Wilmington with his wife, Annie, and their three children, Michael, Jack, and Margaret.