Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer just flipped the Senate blue, but his position as one of the most powerful politicians in Washington may be in jeopardy.
Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed was the first to call for Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen to challenge Schumer. While Schumer supported El-Sayed in November, he fiercely backed his challenger, Haley Stevens, in the Democratic primary.
“I do think that this moment calls for a different kind of leadership,” said El-Sayed on CNN.
Van Hollen has not ruled out a run. This week, he told reporters, “I am in listening mode, active listening mode, so I have not shut the door on it.”
With Van Hollen gaining traction ahead of December’s Democratic leadership election, Schumer’s opposition extends beyond some freshman senators.
On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who caucuses with Democrats, stated that “Nobody works harder than Chuck. But, in my view, the time is now for change.” He added, “And I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader.”
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who is eyeing a potential 2028 presidential run, said, “I have the same feeling about anyone who runs as I do about Sen. Schumer: I want to see what that plan is.”
Maine Sen. Angus King, who like Sanders is an Independent caucusing with Democrats, dismisses such criticism as posturing from those looking to pressure Schumer into fulfilling their own agenda items.
“You don’t fire the manager after you’ve won the World Series. Chuck did an amazing job working on these elections,” he said.
Schumer’s allies have been quick to point to his recent work flipping the Senate. They say the success serves as evidence that the Brooklyn-born 75-year-old deserves to be majority leader once again.
“What I can tell you is this caucus is grateful for the hard work of Sen. Schumer,” said New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who stood next to Schumer during his weekly media conference on Tuesday.
Gillibrand, who served as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair, added, “No one has put in the time and effort into this cycle [like] he did.”
During a press conference Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is also from Brooklyn, told reporters, “I think the results of that election, the outcome, the decisive victory, speaks for itself.”
Schumer has repeatedly brushed off talk of detractors, quickly pivoting to legislative priorities. He told reporters Tuesday, “I am confident I will be elected majority leader, and our caucus is really united in focusing on bringing down costs, on ending the corruption, on ending the chaos, on ending the war.”
Schumer can afford to lose 27 votes. Spectrum News has documented fewer than a dozen Democratic senators who have publicly stated they will not vote for or have not committed to voting for Schumer.