Van Hollen Agrees to Second Term as DCCC Chair

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From the Washington Post:

After bringing at least two dozen new Democrats to the House in Tuesday's elections, Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) has agreed to try to duplicate that achievement in 2010 as chair of the caucus's campaign arm. He also will take on an added role, coordinating policy decisions between the House and President-elect Barack Obama's administration.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) will formally announce Van Hollen's expanded portfolio today, according to informed party sources.

I'm pleased. While I didn't completely agree with all of the spending decisions this fall out of the DCCC's independent expenditure arm this fall, of the responsibilities that CVH did have direct influence over -- namely, fundraising and candidate recruitment -- he did quite well. And considering that two of the alternatives for this gig are Debbie Wasserman Schultz (someone who dragged her heels on supporting Democratic challengers in South Florida) and Artur Davis (someone who violently kneecapped a fellow Alabama Dem in a hotly-contested race), another term with Van Hollen is a relief.

The easiest thing for CVH to do would be to go out on a high note, having netted 23 seats this year (including the special election wins and counting VA-05 as a pickup). 2010 will undoubtedly feature a good deal of defense, so having a strong chair capable of recruiting good challengers for viable targets and open seats is crucial.

http://swingstateproject.com

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