Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has announced he will challenge Chuck Schumer for the leadership of Senate Democrats, setting up a fight over the party’s direction days after its sweeping midterm victories.
Van Hollen, 67, confirmed on Thursday evening that he would stand for Senate majority leader when Democrats take control of the chamber in January. Announcing his candidacy in an interview on MS Now, he said voters had “called for change” by handing Democrats control of Congress, and that the party needed new leadership to meet the moment.
“This is not about any one person,” Van Hollen said. “It’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.”
Schumer, 75, has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and has never faced a challenge for the post. He responded on Thursday by insisting he already had the support to keep the job, saying he was proud of what Democrats had accomplished together and that he had “the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.”
Democrats flipped at least eight Republican seats in the November 3 midterms and will hold at least 55 Senate seats when the new Congress convenes in January, with one race still uncalled. The leadership election will be decided by secret ballot on December 1, with the winner needing a simple majority of the caucus.
Van Hollen would not put an exact number on his support, but said he had the backing of “more than 10” of the 55 Democratic senators and senators-elect. Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan was the first to back him publicly, and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, has said he will not support Schumer and encouraged Van Hollen to run.
Schumer has been backed publicly by Senators Angus King, Ruben Gallego and Kirsten Gillibrand. Many senators have declined to say publicly how they will vote.
Senate Democrats have not held a contested leadership election since 1994, when Tom Daschle of South Dakota defeated Chris Dodd of Connecticut by a single vote. Van Hollen, who won his Senate seat in 2016 after 14 years in the House, had also been weighing a run for president in 2028 before deciding to seek the leadership post instead.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/chris-van-hollen-to-challenge-chuck-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader-fc3a8833), New York Post (https://nypost.com/2026/11/12/us-news/chris-van-hollen-challenging-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/), CBS News (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-van-hollen-challenge-chuck-schumer-senate-majority-leader-democrat/)
