The Aspen Institute

Chris Coons was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 following terms as New Castle County Council President and County Executive. He sits on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics Committees. Senator Coons has used his position on the Foreign Relations Committee to advocate for national security priorities. Senator Coons has marshaled into law bills to modernize international development finance and impose sanctions on Russia, North Korea, and Iran for actions that undermine American interests. As co-chair of the bipartisan Human Rights Caucus, Senator Coons stands up for those fighting for universal values around the world. During his first four years in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, emerging as an important voice on the continent’s security challenges and economic opportunities. This Congress, Senator Coons has shifted his focus to China and East Asia. He traveled to China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan in April with a concentration on developing a smart, comprehensive strategy for promoting American values, interests, and alliances in a region critical to the future security and prosperity of the United States. Prior to serving as county executive, Senator Coons worked as an attorney for Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Annie, and their three children, Michael, Jack, and Maggie. Senator Coons graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in chemistry and political science and earned his law degree from Yale Law School and a master’s in ethics from Yale Divinity School. He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.