YOU KNOW IT'S UGLY WHEN THEY HAVE TO PAY HIM OFF:

Sen.-elect Chris Van Hollen of Maryland will chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2018 cycle, incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced Friday. [...]

"Tough" is one word to describe what Senate Democrats face in 2018. The party will have 23 seats to defend, as well as two seats held by independents who caucus with the Democrats. By comparison, Republicans will only be defending eight seats. 

Ten of the states where Democrats will be up for re-election were won by Donald Trump in this year's presidential election, including Montana, represented by outgoing DSCC Chairman Jon Tester. [...]

[T]he job will be familiar to Van Hollen, who ran the Democrats' campaign operation on House side of the Capitol. He was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2008, a banner year for the party, and again in 2010, when Democrats lost control of the House.

Van Hollen also revealed that he will serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, in what some see as a reward for him taking the difficult DSCC job. 

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