US Senator Chris Van Hollen has entered the race for Senate majority leader as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January after sweeping victories in this month’s midterm elections. His announcement comes amid increasing opposition to Chuck Schumer remaining at the head of the Senate Democratic caucus.
Announcing his candidacy on X late Thursday, Van Hollen said voters had demanded action against an economy tilted against working people and sustained by political corruption. He argued that fulfilling that mandate required a leadership change. “To deliver, we need new leadership,” he wrote, presenting his bid as a response to voters’ demands rather than a matter concerning any single individual.
Van Hollen had been under growing pressure to seek the post. Schumer, currently the Senate minority leader, has faced criticism over his management of the Democratic caucus during Donald Trump’s presidency. The leadership contest follows an election that will put Democrats in charge of Congress when the new session begins in January.
Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed became the first to endorse Van Hollen’s candidacy. Writing on X, El-Sayed recalled that he had urged Van Hollen to lead the caucus in April, while he was a candidate. He praised the Maryland senator’s courage and experience, saying both qualities were needed as Democrats prepared to lead the Senate majority.
The announcement coincided with a wider discussion about the party’s future. Democratic leaders assembled in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday for a two-day conference following their midterm gains. Some progressives attending the gathering called for changes to both the party’s direction and its leadership.
James Butler, a political commentator and strategist based in Washington, DC, pointed to Schumer’s nearly 50 years in elected office. While expressing respect for his service, Butler argued that veteran Democrats should give younger, more energetic party members room to step forward.
Van Hollen, whose father was a US diplomat, has frequently questioned Washington’s relationships with its Middle Eastern partners. He has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “chronic liar” and previously told Al Jazeera that the US-Israel war on Iran was making the United States and its allies less safe.
He also sought legislation requiring the Trump administration to report on the deaths of nine Americans in the occupied West Bank and Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children held in military detention. This week, he joined 10 Senate colleagues in urging congressional leaders to strip provisions expanding weapons development and intelligence sharing with Israel from the annual defence policy bill.
