He previously served as speechwriter, press secretary, and campaign press secretary for Senator Graham and as Chief of Staff for the consolidated City of Jacksonville, Florida -- the largest city by area in the contiguous United States and the 12th largest by population in the entire nation. In 2008, Hand was one of 27 Florida electors in the United States Electoral College. He graduated with honors from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. At Princeton, Chris was honored with the Daily Princetonian Award for his successful efforts to reform the university's then century old Honor Code. At the University of Florida, the law school student body elected Hand as president of the student bar association.