Coons, Chris (1963-…), became a United States senator in 2010. Coons, a Democrat, represents Delaware. Prior to his election to the Senate, Coons served as county executive for New Castle County, Delaware.
Christopher Andrew Coons was born on Sept. 9, 1963, in Greenwich, Connecticut. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1985. In 1992, Coons received a J.D. degree from Yale Law School and a master’s degree in ethics from Yale Divinity School. After graduation, Coons worked as a lawyer for a private law firm. He also worked with organizations that promote education and help homeless people.
In 2000, Coons was elected president of the New Castle County Council. In 2005, he became county executive. In 2010, Coons won a special election to serve out the term of retiring Senator Ted Kaufman. Kaufman, a Democrat, had been appointed to the seat in 2009. In the Senate, Coons focused on efforts to create jobs through investments in technology research. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, he worked on measures to protect American economic and security interests overseas. Coons was elected to a full six-year term in 2014. He won reelection in 2020.
