WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland announced that he will challenge Chuck Schumer to lead the Senate’s new Democratic majority, opening a rare internal power struggle days after the party’s sweeping midterm victories.
Van Hollen said voters had demanded a break from the status quo and argued that Senate Democrats need new leadership to deliver an agenda centered on working families and oversight of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Secret-ballot leadership vote expected in December
The Senate Democratic caucus is expected to choose its leader in a private, secret-ballot election in early December. The winner would become Senate majority leader when the new Congress convenes in January.
Schumer, 75, has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and remains the favorite. He has said he believes he has enough support to retain the job. Van Hollen, 67, acknowledged that he is the underdog but said the election results require the party to consider a new direction.
The Associated Press reported that Van Hollen’s candidacy exposes divisions that had been building inside the party even before Democrats reclaimed control of both chambers of Congress. Progressive activists have criticized Schumer for not confronting Trump more aggressively during previous government-funding fights and for his positions on Israel and Gaza.
Van Hollen presents himself as a change candidate
Van Hollen has served in the Senate since 2017 after representing a Maryland district in the House for 14 years. He has moved into a more progressive lane in recent years and has been among the most vocal Democratic critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian territories.
Reuters reported that Van Hollen said he had support from more than 10 senators in the incoming Democratic caucus. Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan publicly endorsed him, while other senators calling for leadership changes have not all committed to a specific candidate.
Schumer allies defend his election record
Schumer’s supporters argue that he helped engineer one of the party’s strongest election performances in decades. Democrats are expected to hold at least 55 Senate seats, giving the next majority leader significant power over the chamber’s agenda, committee leadership and investigations during Trump’s final two years in office.
Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, questioned why the party would replace the leader after winning control of the Senate. Several returning and newly elected senators have backed Schumer, while others say they remain undecided.
The contest will test whether Democratic senators view the midterm results as an endorsement of Schumer’s strategy or as a mandate for generational and ideological change. Because the vote is secret, public endorsements may not reveal the final outcome.
This story will be updated as senators announce their positions and the leadership vote approaches.
