Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced Thursday that he will run against Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader, opening a leadership contest after Democrats decisively won last week's midterm elections. Van Hollen said the election reflected demands for an economy that better serves working people and for action against political corruption, arguing that new leadership was needed to deliver.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont quickly endorsed Van Hollen. Several Democrats have withheld commitments to Schumer without publicly backing an alternative ahead of leadership elections expected early next month. Van Hollen, who previously described himself as being in listening mode about a bid, represents the most significant challenge from a prominent Democrat to the party's leadership since the election.
Schumer, 75, said he welcomed discussion about the caucus's future but maintained that he had the votes to continue as Democratic leader. Pointing to the party's election performance, he cited a tally of 55 seats and counting. Democrats flipped at least eight Senate seats despite facing what had appeared to be an unfavorable map, with one Alaska race still unresolved, giving them a substantial majority in the next Congress.
Senior Democrats have rallied behind Schumer. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, credited his strategic direction at a news conference earlier this week and predicted considerable gratitude within the caucus. Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen endorsed him late Thursday, praising his election work and saying his experience would help him continue leading a diverse group of senators.
Van Hollen, 67, entered the Senate in 2017 after more than a decade representing Maryland in the House. He has drawn progressive attention for supporting restrictions on weapons shipments to Israel in 2024 and criticizing the Biden administration's approach to the Gaza war. Last year, he traveled to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had lived in Maryland and was sent to CECOT prison. Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed cited that trip when praising Van Hollen's willingness to take risks.
In an interview with MS NOW, Van Hollen acknowledged being an underdog but said conversations with caucus members suggested the contest remained unsettled. He criticized Schumer's approach to using congressional spending authority to pressure the Trump administration to end the Iran war. Speaking to host Jen Psaki, Van Hollen urged Democrats to use the Dec. 11 government funding deadline to press that demand.
Van Hollen also objected to Schumer's involvement in Democratic primaries, arguing that the party's Senate leader should avoid choosing sides in open contests. He pointed to El-Sayed and Minnesota Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan in criticizing Schumer's preferences, reflecting a longstanding concern among progressives about leadership intervention in candidate selection.
Although Schumer remains widely expected to retain his position, his leadership has faced resistance in recent years. His efforts to avert a government shutdown in early 2025 angered the party's left flank. Later that year, he adopted a different approach, keeping Democrats largely together during a record-breaking shutdown as they sought to prevent health insurance tax credits from expiring.
Calls for change extend beyond progressives such as Sanders to moderates including Kansas Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin said this week that she was not actively pursuing the leadership job but wanted change. She said any candidate seeking her vote would need to offer a concrete plan that differed clearly from the current approach.
