May 23 (Reuters) - Chain Bridge Bancorp, the lender

founded by former Republican U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald, said

on Thursday it was evaluating an initial public offering (IPO)

this year.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The share sale would be a rare one from the banking

sector, coming at a time when the IPO market has been dominated

by marquee players from the technology industry.

It could also be a barometer of interest for an industry

rattled by uncertainty over interest rates and a crisis last

year, that led to the failure of three high-profile banks.

CONTEXT

McLean, Virginia-based Chain Bridge, which commenced

operations in 2007, is reportedly popular among Republicans.

Its board is chaired by Fitzgerald, the former US Senator

from Illinois. He retired in 2005 and was succeeded to the

Senate seat by Barack Obama.

The bank has reported no non-performing assets for 12

consecutive years.

Besides traditional banking services, Chain Bridge also

offers wealth management. It specializes in serving political

action committees, trade associations, law firms and government

contractors, according to its website.