BIOGUIDE C001088 · FEC S0DE00092
Chris Coons
U.S. Senator (since 2010)DINCUMBENT
- Race
- U.S. Senate · Delaware
- Result
- Chris Coons, projected winner
- Opponents
- Michael Katz (R); Travis Stevens (Unaffiliated)
- Research
- Basic
Party line14 votes tracked
Broke with Democrats on
With party = voted the same way as most Democrats who voted.
Said vs. did7 statements · 14 votes
protecting and strengthening the programs that give people a health care lifeline: Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act
Expand public health coverage
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. Senate
2026-11-03
| Chris Coons D | incumbent |
| Michael Katz R | challenger |
| Travis Stevens Unaffiliated | challenger |
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
protecting and strengthening the programs that give people a health care lifeline: Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act
His Senate issues page says he is working to protect and strengthen Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and to make expanded ACA marketplace tax credits permanent.[5]
- NOOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements.[6]
1 of 1 vote point the same way as the statement
He is fighting to restore and protect reproductive freedom including access to abortion, birth control, and fertility treatments
His Senate issues page says he is fighting to restore and protect reproductive freedom, including access to abortion, and supports the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, which would put the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.[7]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
President Trump’s arbitrary tariff regime is as unlawful as it is unwise.
In a February 2026 statement on the Supreme Court's tariff ruling, he criticized the administration's tariffs as unlawful and unwise and said they raised prices on everyday goods.[8]
- YESResolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 49, 2025-04-30), which would have ended the emergency used to impose global tariffs.[9]
- YESResolution to end the global tariff emergency (S.J. Res. 88, 2025-10-30), which would end the emergency used to impose global tariffs.[10]
2 of 2 votes point the same way as the statement
I just voted once again to end President Trump’s war of choice with Iran
In an April 2026 statement, he said he voted to end the Iran war under a War Powers Resolution, and called the war one waged without a publicly stated rationale, strategy or goal.[11]
- YESWar Powers Resolution on Iran (S.J. Res. 59, 2025-06-27), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Iran to a vote.[12]
- YESWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela (S.J. Res. 90, 2025-11-06), a motion to bring a war powers resolution on Venezuela to a vote.[13]
2 of 2 votes point the same way as the statement
introduced the PUBLIC SAFETY Act to redirect almost $75 billion in funding passed in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Introduced the PUBLIC SAFETY Act in January 2026 with Sen. Cortez Masto, which would redirect almost $75 billion in ICE funding from the 2025 reconciliation law to local law enforcement programs.[14]
Cosponsored S. 1531, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 (119th Congress), which would ban the sale and manufacture of many semiautomatic assault weapons.
Documented position[16]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Cosponsored S. 1332, the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 (119th Congress), which would raise the federal minimum wage.
Documented position[17]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- NOOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[6]
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- NOOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-07-01), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[6]
Biography
Chris Coons is the Democratic U.S. Senator from Delaware and won re-election on November 3, 2026. A Delaware lawyer and former manufacturing-company employee, he served on and then led New Castle County government before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. He sits on the Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Ethics committees.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Chris Coons was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1963, and, according to his Senate website, was raised in Hockessin, Delaware.[2][3] He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and political science from Amherst College in 1985, spent a semester at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and later received a master of arts in religion from Yale Divinity School and a J.D. from Yale Law School, both in 1992.[2][3] After college he worked with the South African Council of Churches in the anti-apartheid movement, and as a law student he founded the Delaware chapter of the national "I Have a Dream" Foundation, later launching and running its AmeriCorps program, according to his Senate website.[3] He then worked for the Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates before entering county government; Ballotpedia also describes him as a nonprofit executive and attorney.[2][3]
Coons served as president of the New Castle County Council from 2001 to 2005 and as New Castle County Executive from 2005 to 2010.[2][3] He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and has served since. His Senate site lists committee service on Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics; he is Vice Chair of the Ethics Committee and the ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee.[2][3] According to the same site, he was an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church and is one of three senators with a divinity degree. He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Annie; they have three grown children.[3] During the campaign, he ran on his Senate record.[1] He won the November 3, 2026 general election with 63.6% of the vote to Mike Katz's 36.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
Recent votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-30 | Against partyvoted yes | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — Senate passageH.R. 7148 · Bill Passed 71–29 · roll call ↗Democrats 23–24 · Republicans 48–5 |
| 2025-12-17 | No votevoted didn't vote | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Motion Agreed to 77–20 · roll call ↗Democrats 28–18 · Republicans 49–2 |
| 2025-11-10 | With partyvoted no | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Bill Passed 60–40 · roll call ↗Democrats 8–39 · Republicans 52–1 |
| 2025-11-06 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 90 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 49–51 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 2–51 |
| 2025-10-30 | With partyvoted yes | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 88 · Joint Resolution Passed 51–47 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 4–47 |
| 2025-07-01 | With partyvoted no | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passageH.R. 1 · Bill Passed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3 |
| 2025-06-27 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 59 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 47–53 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–1 · Republicans 1–52 |
| 2025-06-17 | With partyvoted no | GENIUS Act — Senate passageS. 1582 · Bill Passed 68–30 · roll call ↗Democrats 18–28 · Republicans 50–2 |
Showing the 8 most recent of 14 votes.
All 14 recorded votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-30 | Against partyvoted yes | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — Senate passageH.R. 7148 · Bill Passed 71–29 · roll call ↗Democrats 23–24 · Republicans 48–5The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026. |
| 2025-12-17 | No votevoted didn't vote | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Motion Agreed to 77–20 · roll call ↗Democrats 28–18 · Republicans 49–2The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. This vote sent the House-Senate compromise version to the President, who signed it into law the next day. |
| 2025-11-10 | With partyvoted no | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Bill Passed 60–40 · roll call ↗Democrats 8–39 · Republicans 52–1The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined nearly all Republicans to pass it. |
| 2025-11-06 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 90 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 49–51 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 2–51S.J.Res. 90 would have directed the President to end military hostilities within or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized, after U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, blocking a vote on final passage. |
| 2025-10-30 | With partyvoted yes | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 88 · Joint Resolution Passed 51–47 · roll call ↗Democrats 47–0 · Republicans 4–47S.J.Res. 88 terminates the national emergency the President used to impose broad tariffs on imports from most countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Unlike an earlier April 2025 attempt, this resolution passed the Senate, though it still required House and presidential action to take effect. |
| 2025-07-01 | With partyvoted no | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passageH.R. 1 · Bill Passed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and increases border security and defense spending. It reduces projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adds new work requirements; Vice President Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. |
| 2025-06-27 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to dischargeS.J. Res. 59 · Motion to Discharge Rejected 47–53 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–1 · Republicans 1–52S.J.Res. 59 would have directed the President to end U.S. military hostilities against Iran that Congress had not authorized, following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier that month. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed, preventing a vote on final passage. |
| 2025-06-17 | With partyvoted no | GENIUS Act — Senate passageS. 1582 · Bill Passed 68–30 · roll call ↗Democrats 18–28 · Republicans 50–2The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation to clear Congress. |
| 2025-04-30 | With partyvoted yes | Resolution to end the global tariff emergencyS.J. Res. 49 · Joint Resolution Defeated 49–49 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–0 · Republicans 3–49S.J.Res. 49 would have terminated the national emergency the President declared in April 2025 to impose broad tariffs on imports from most U.S. trading partners. The resolution failed on a tied 49-49 vote. |
| 2025-03-14 | With partyvoted no | Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 — Senate passageH.R. 1968 · Bill Passed 54–46 · roll call ↗Democrats 2–45 · Republicans 52–1The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations. |
| 2025-02-13 | With partyvoted no | Confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS SecretaryPN Kennedy · Nomination Confirmed 52–48 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 52–1The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, overseeing federal health, food-safety, and drug-regulatory agencies. Senator Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against the nomination. |
| 2025-02-04 | With partyvoted no | Confirmation of Pamela Bondi as Attorney GeneralPN Bondi · Nomination Confirmed 54–46 · roll call ↗Democrats 1–46 · Republicans 53–0The Senate confirmed Pamela Bondi, Florida's former attorney general, to serve as U.S. Attorney General, leading the Justice Department. The vote fell largely along party lines. |
| 2025-01-24 | With partyvoted no | Confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of DefensePN Hegseth · Nomination Confirmed 50–50 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–47 · Republicans 50–3The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard officer, to serve as Secretary of Defense. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote after three Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting against the nomination. |
| 2025-01-20 | With partyvoted no | Laken Riley Act — Senate passageS. 5 · Bill Passed 64–35 · roll call ↗Democrats 12–35 · Republicans 52–0The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions. |
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- actionServes as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, Appropriations Committee (Ranking Member, Defense Subcommittee), and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in the 119th Congress.[18]
Campaign money$4.2M raised · 59% from individuals · FEC through 2026-08-26
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $2.0M
- PACs & committees $1.4M
Largest committee contributions
- American Bankers Association PAC (Bankpac) PAC$10K
- Deloitte Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government PAC$10K
- National Multifamily Housing Council and Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center Political Action Committee (NMHC PAC) PAC$10K
- General Atomics Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- NEA Fund for Children and Public Education PAC$10K
- Employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation PAC PAC$10K
- Jpmorgan Chase & Co. Federal Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- The Capital Group Companies Inc Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- Common Ground PAC PAC$10K
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/christopher-a-coons
Where they stood out
Voted against most of their party on 47 of 794 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Foreign affairs & defense (26), Jobs & cost of living (4), Technology & privacy (3)
Kennedy Amdt. No. 6760; To limit price increases for college athletics tickets.
A yes vote would have adopted Amendment 6760, which would limit price increases for college athletics tickets. (AI-written)
What it does: Protect College Sports Act of 2026 This bill establishes requirements for name, image, or likeness (NIL) agreements for college student athletes and provides a limited antitrust exemption for schools and conferences t…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 31–14, Republicans 9–40
Sep 28, 2026Official record ↗
Paul Amdt. No. 6715; To strike the provision relating to duties on countries that purchase Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas or facilitate sanctions evasion.
A yes vote would have adopted Amendment 6715, which would strike the provision on duties on countries that buy Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas or facilitate sanctions evasion. (AI-written)
What it does: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 This bill imposes a variety of sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions related to Russia, extends an Iran-related sanctions law, and expands a tax deduction for t…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 29–15, Republicans 2–48
Aug 7, 2026Official record ↗
Confirmation: Darrell Owens, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
What it does: Confirms Darrell Owens as U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 16–29, Republicans 50–0
Jun 23, 2026Official record ↗
Their votes on the most contested roll calls
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
- No
With most of their party · Agreed to 46–45 · Yes 45–No 45 · Democrats 0–43, Republicans 45–0
May 11, 2026Official record ↗
- No
With most of their party · Passed 49–47 · Yes 47–No 47 · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 47–0
Feb 12, 2026Official record ↗
- No
With most of their party · Confirmed 48–46 · Yes 46–No 46 · Democrats 0–44, Republicans 46–0
Jun 4, 2025Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Rejected 46–49 · Yes 46–No 46 · Democrats 44–0, Republicans 0–46
Jan 15, 2025Official record ↗
- No
With most of their party · Confirmed 48–47 · Yes 48–No 47 · Democrats 0–45, Republicans 48–0
Jul 23, 2026Official record ↗
Compare all 3 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.United States Senate election in Delaware, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Chris Coons · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 3.Meet Chris · Office of Senator Chris Coons, U.S. Senate Official record
- 4.Delaware U.S. Senate election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Health Care - Senator Christopher Coons · Office of Senator Chris Coons · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 6.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-07-01 Official record
- 7.Women’s Rights - Senator Christopher Coons · Office of Senator Chris Coons · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 8.Senator Coons statement on Supreme Court tariff decision · Office of Senator Chris Coons · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 9.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-04-30 Official record
- 10.Roll call: Resolution to end the global tariff emergency · U.S. Senate · 2025-10-30 Official record
- 11.Senator Coons statement supporting War Powers Resolution · Office of Senator Chris Coons · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 12.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Iran — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-06-27 Official record
- 13.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela — motion to discharge · U.S. Senate · 2025-11-06 Official record
- 14.Senators Coons, Cortez Masto introduce legislation to redirect excessive ICE funding to local police · Office of Senator Chris Coons · 2026-10-03 Official record
- 15.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — Senate passage · U.S. Senate · 2025-01-20 Official record
- 16.S. 1531, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 (Assault Weapons Ban of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
- 17.S. 1332, the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 (Raise the Wage Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
- 18.Chris Coons · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference