NPRMaryland
Goldstein: 0.0CAMEO 01
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., seen above on Aug. 8, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn., has announced he will challenge Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for Senate Majority Leader. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images hide caption
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has announced he will challenge New York's Chuck Schumer for the job of Senate majority leader, pushing the party into a fresh debate over its future just days after sweeping victories in the midterm elections.
Van Hollen made the announcement on Thursday, saying voters sent a clear message in the midterms — that they want "change from the status quo."
"It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership," Van Hollen said in a statement. "This is not about any one person — it's about answering the call of the American people. That is why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader."
Van Hollen, 67, was elected to the Senate in 2016 after spending more than a decade in the House representing a Maryland suburb outside of Washington, D.C. One of his party's more progressive members, he gained national attention last year lobbying for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after he was wrongfully deported to a prison in El Salvador.
His announcement comes at a moment when progressive activists, as well as some Democratic lawmakers, are calling for Schumer, 75, to be replaced as party leader. Schumer has served in the role since 2017, but drew the ire of many inside the Democratic base for not taking a tougher stance against President Trump during a fight over government funding in early 2025.
"I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader," Schumer wrote on social media following Van Hollen's announcement. "I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters at the Capitol on Nov. 10, 2026. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
While Schumer has maintained he has the votes to become majority leader, he has faced growing resistance from inside the Democratic caucus. Earlier this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who aligns with Democrats, said he would oppose Schumer. He made the announcement next to Michigan Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who did not say outright she would oppose Schumer, but told reporters, "I am seeking change."
Several incoming Democratic lawmakers have similarly expressed opposition to Schumer's bid for majority leader, including Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota and Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed.
"I deeply appreciate Senator Schumer," El-Sayed told NPR this week. "But this is about leadership for the American public, and if all we do is kind of go back to what we've been doing in a moment where we've been given a mandate, I worry that we may not earn our mandate."
Multiple Democrats have publicly come out in support of Schumer, including Arizona's Ruben Gallego, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Maryland's Angela Alsobrooks.
Democrats will vote by secret ballot for majority leader in early December. Whoever wins will preside over a majority of 55 seats, though that could grow to 56 depending on the final tally in the U.S. Senate race in Alaska.
NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.
Open article →NBCUnited States
Goldstein: 0.0CAMEO 01
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., announced Thursday he will run for Senate majority leader, becoming the first to challenge Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., for the position.
“In this election, the American people called for change. They called for a change from Donald Trump’s disastrous policies — but even bigger than that, a change from the status quo that isn’t working for working people,” Van Hollen said in a statement.
Van Hollen’s move follows attempts by grassroots progressives — and some newly elected Democratic senators — to draft him for the position as some seek an alternative to Schumer.
“It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership. This is not about any one person — it’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader,” he added.
Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017, remains favored to retain the position of Democratic leader. Still, it’s likely to be the most serious challenge he has gotten for the job.
Democratic senators will hold a vote in December to choose their leadership for the next Congress. That vote is held behind closed doors and requires a simple majority of the caucus.
Van Hollen said in an interview with MS NOW Thursday night that more than 10 senators have pledged to support him.
“We have a lot of people, but here’s the thing about an election like this: As you say, I’m the underdog,” Van Hollen said. “I told people I was thinking about it, and so now we are opening up the process, right?”
He added, “Now people will have to make a decision, one way or the other, and they have to decide whether they want to vote for change or whether they want to vote for the status quo.”
Van Hollen plans to run on having the new Democratic majority use every available tool to end the Iran war , starting with the upcoming government funding measure to avoid a December shutdown , according to his team. He’s also proposing to reverse President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” get money out of politics and tackle corruption.
Van Hollen, 67, is newer to Congress than Schumer, 75, but both men have served in Congress for decades. Van Hollen was first elected to the Senate in 2016. Before that, he served in the House for over a decade, beginning in 2003. Schumer was first elected to the House in 1980 and moved up to the Senate in 1999.
Schumer responded on X to Van Hollen’s announcement, saying he has the votes to win.
“I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader,” he said. “I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Wednesday that he would support Van Hollen if he decided to launch an official bid for the leadership role. The day prior, Sanders had said he would not back Schumer, saying at a press conference that “in my view, the time is now for change.”
After Van Hollen’s announcement on Thursday night, Sanders wrote in a post on X that he would be supporting his bid to lead Senate Democrats.
“The American people voted for change. They want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families,” he wrote.
Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan endorsed Van Hollen for the role shortly after his announcement Thursday night, writing in a post on X , “I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience.”
“We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority,” El-Sayed wrote, adding that to “earn our mandate,” Democrats “will require bold leadership.”
Still, Schumer has maintained support from longtime colleagues who point to his work as minority leader ahead of Democrats’ landslide midterm victories.
“Chuck Schumer is one of the principal architects of the most successful election in modern history, and I see no reason to change the leadership that helped make that success possible,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, wrote in a statement on Thursday night. “Why would you fire the manager when you just won the World Series?”
King wrote that Schumer “outlined an aggressive plan for the new Democratic majority which is directly responsive to the message we heard from the voters, and he has the experience and unique mastery of the Senate process to make it happen.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also urged Democrats not to turn their backs on Schumer earlier this week, saying that “no one has put in the time and effort that anyone has put into this cycle than he did.”
Gillibrand, who oversaw Senate Democrats’ campaign arm for the midterms, said Schumer ensured that resources were provided to help 100,000 new voters register in Mississippi, where Sen.-elect Scott Colom just captured a stunning victory.
“That takes vision. It takes clarity of thought. It takes strategic leadership, and that is what Sen. Schumer has done, and that’s why you will see, despite all the grumblings, enormous gratitude for the hard work he has done to get us to this position,” Gillibrand said.
Frank Thorp V is a coordinating producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate.
Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.
Kyla Guilfoil is a breaking news reporter on the politics team for NBC News Digital.
Open article →GDELTAlaska
Goldstein: 4.0Tone: 0.3
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has formally launched a bid to challenge incumbent Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for Senate majority leader in the upcoming Congress.
“In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people [and] fueled by political corruption,” Van Hollen wrote in a statement on X.
“To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn’t about any one person—it’s about answering that call. That’s why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.”
Van Hollen had previously been open that he was considering a bid.
Schumer, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that he’ll have the required votes when the conference meets for a closed-door, secret ballot vote later in December.
Several incoming Democratic senators—including Sens.-elect Annie Andrews (D-S.C.), Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.), and Adam Hamilton (D-Kansas)—have said they won’t support Schumer.
El-Sayed has endorsed Van Hollen directly, endorsing the candidate even before he won his own primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.).
“The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership,” El-Sayed wrote in a post on X. “I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority.”
Andrews hasn’t endorsed Van Hollen, but she told Fox News in an interview that it was “time for a generational change on both sides of the aisle.”
Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-Texas) said he’s still making up his mind on who to vote for.
“I’m going to meet with every candidate for any leadership position. … I’m going to ask tough questions,” Talarico said in an interview with CBS News.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also said he wouldn’t back Schumer.
“If this campaign was about anything, it was about change and the need for the Democratic Party to move in a new and bold direction. I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck, nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer, but in my view the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader,” Sanders said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Schumer indicated he felt certain he would be reelected.
“The issue is not me. I'll be reelected as majority leader. But the issue is focusing on the American people and what they want,” Schumer said at a press conference.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has been a prominent backer of Schumer, whom he credits with Senate Democrats’ sweeping victory in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats have won at least 55 seats so far, with a race in Alaska too close to call.
“When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give him another contract,” Gallego said.
Van Hollen’s bid comes as Democrats in both chambers have reported receiving as many as hundreds of calls a day urging them to oppose Democrats’ heir apparent for leadership in both chambers.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who has led Democrats since they entered the minority in January 2023, has also faced opposition in his bid for the House speakership.
Open article →GDELTWashington D.C.
Goldstein: 0.7Tone: -1.7
Washington DC [US}, November 13 (ANI): U.S. Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen, has announced that he will run for the position of Senate Majority leader challenging incumbent minority leader Chuck Schumer. In a post on X, Van Hollen said, "In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption. To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn't about any one person – it’s about answering that call. That's why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader. Schumer in a post on X, appeared to respond to Van Hollen with an assertion that he had enough votes backing him to lead the Democrats in the Senate. "I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader. I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people," he said. Van Hollen has taken stringent positions when it comes to seeking action against President Donald Trump on allegations of corruption.
"While people across the country could barely make ends meet, Trump made $1.4 BILLION from his crypto schemes alone last year. This is exactly the type of corruption we’ve got to tackle head on. Americans deserve answers on his White House money-making schemes," he had said. Van Hollen has also been a public supporter of the move to impeach incumbent Secretary of War Pete Hegseth while calling for Congress to defund the war in Iran. "The American people have spoken loud & clear: They want us to end Trump’s illegal & senseless war. And in 1 month, we’ll have an opportunity to do that. I will not support a government funding bill unless it defunds this war," he said. Senator Chuck Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017, remains favored to retain the position of Democratic leader. Still, it’s likely to be the most serious challenge he has gotten for the job. Democratic senators will hold a vote in December to choose their leadership for the next Congress. That vote is held behind closed doors and requires a simple majority of the caucus. (ANI)
Open article →GDELTMaine
Goldstein: -5.0Tone: 1.9
—
Open article →GDELTWashington D.C.
Goldstein: 3.4Tone: -0.8
Washingon DC [US], November 13 (ANI): US Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has secured the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator elect Abdul El Sayed after he announced his intention to challenge Senator Chuck Schumer for the role of Senate Majority leader. Bernie Sanders, an independent senator who caucuses with the Democrats said, "The American people voted for change. They want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families. That is why I am supporting Senator Chris Van Hollen to lead Senate Democrats. Abdul El Sayed the newly elected Senator from Michigan also endorsed Van Hollen saying, "The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority ." Earlier Speaking to MS Now Van Hollen said his decision to run for Senate Majority leader was spurred by the voice of the people who he said had voted for larger change in Washington. “This is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people. We saw a huge outburst of democracy on Election Day — red states, blue states, purple states — and it wasn’t only a rejection of Donald Trump and his corruption and his wars and his cruelty, it was also about a call for a larger change to take on a broken economic system that’s rigged in favor of the very wealthy against working people, led by a corrupt political system,” he said. Van Hollen also accused Schumer of backing Republican candidates in the recent mid-terms which the Democrats have swept. "We shouldn't have a leader who is getting involved in picking sides in open Democratic primaries, and we should be focused on defeating Republicans. We have two senators right now in the Senate who wouldn't be there if the current majority leader had his way. He supported establishment candidates in the primaries," he told MS Now. Earlier, Schumer in a post on X, appeared to respond to Van Hollen's decision to run against him with an assertion that he had enough votes backing him to lead the Democrats in the Senate. "I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader. I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people," he said. Van Hollen has taken stringent positions when it comes to seeking action against President Donald Trump on allegations of corruption. "While people across the country could barely make ends meet, Trump made $1.4 BILLION from his crypto schemes alone last year. This is exactly the type of corruption we’ve got to tackle head on. Americans deserve answers on his White House money-making schemes," he had said. Van Hollen has also been a public supporter of the move to impeach incumbent Secretary of War Pete Hegseth while calling for Congress to defund the war in Iran. "The American people have spoken loud & clear: They want us to end Trump’s illegal & senseless war. And in 1 month, we’ll have an opportunity to do that. I will not support a government funding bill unless it defunds this war," he said. Senator Chuck Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017, remains favored to retain the position of Democratic leader. Still, it’s likely to be the most serious challenge he has gotten for the job. (ANI)
Open article →GDELTMaryland
Goldstein: 5.2Tone: -3.0
This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.
“Active listening mode” is over. Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen will contest New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for the post of Senate Majority Leader.
Speaking Thursday evening on MS NOW’s “The Briefing With Jen Psaki,” the Democrat in his second term said he was “answering the call” for a change in the leadership of the upper body of Congress, reflected in the seismic political shift of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“This is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people. We saw a huge outburst of democracy on Election Day, red states, blue states, purple states, and it wasn’t only a rejection of Donald Trump and his corruption, his wars, and his cruelty. “It was also about a call for a larger change, to take on a broken economic system that’s rigged in favor of the very wealthy against working people, and it’s fueled by a corrupt political system. The call was really to reject the status quo and to reject business as usual,” he said. “And to do that, I think we need new leadership.” Van Hollen, 67, had previously said he was in “active listening mode,” presumably taking the temperature of other senators and advisers, and assessing the likelihood of winning the post from Schumer, who was previous majority leader from 2021 until 2025.
We continue to be paywall-free. We continue to be supported by our readers, not billionaires or corporations. But we need to bring in more revenue. We are leaning on our community more than ever to help make ends meet. Can you donate $5 or more to support Daily Kos and our continued work?
Sign up to get the best of Daily Kos right in your inbox.
This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member.
Recommending and sharing stories helps us decide which stories are most important to show our readers.
It could be because of network issues or a problem with our commenting provider, or your browser or an extension may be blocking them. This can happen with Firefox Strict mode, uBlock Origin, Brave, or ad blockers. Try reloading the page, disabling your ad blocker for this site, or switching Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection to Standard mode.
Sign up to get the best of Daily Kos right in your inbox.
Daily Kos is independent, reader-funded progressive media rooted in a partisan community.
Daily Kos publishes its content for broad public use so that ideas and information can spread as widely as possible. Unless otherwise specified, site content may be reused or republished for any purpose without explicit permission. “Kos” and “Daily Kos” are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC.
' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + '
" + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + "
" + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + "
Open article →NBCOhio
Goldstein: 0.0CAMEO 01
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., says he's confident Senate Democrats will re-elect him as majority leader. Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., as the minority leaders in the House and Senate. NBC News' Ryan Nobles reports.
Open article →NBCMaryland
Goldstein: 0.0Tone: 100.0CAMEO 01
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced Tuesday he won’t support Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to be majority leader for the next two years after Democrats’ big 2026 victories .
“I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck. [There’s] nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re-elected as the Democratic leader,” Sanders said at a news conference.
Sanders, who is in line to chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, becomes a high-profile opponent with inside power and grassroots clout when it comes to Schumer’s staying on as leader.
Schumer has spent a decade as caucus leader and is vying for another two years after having led his party to a net pickup of at least seven Senate seats in the midterm elections, with Mississippi and Alaska still counting votes as two more prospects. Senate Democrats won’t elect their new leadership until next month.
The progressive wing of the party has been calling for Schumer to step aside, while some new Democratic senators haven’t committed to support him. He’ll need a majority of the caucus to win another term as leader.
Standing next to Sanders at Tuesday’s news conference was Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who has similarly called for a change of leadership without backing an alternative candidate.
“I am not actively seeking this job. I am seeking change,” she said. “I’ve been very consistent for a very long time that we need a new generation of leadership. ... It’s important to demonstrate that we’ve heard what people want from this last election.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., whom grassroots progressive advocates are drafting to challenge Schumer, said Tuesday he’s still “actively listening” to colleagues about a potential run.
But he wouldn’t say whether he’ll jump in the race.
“We should not have a coronation,” Van Hollen told reporters in the Capitol. “We should not support anybody for leader without a very clear plan, and as you know, there are many people who think change is required.”
Until a challenger jumps in and gains traction, Schumer is the clear favorite to win and become majority leader. Despite grumbling in his own caucus, Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota was re-elected by his colleagues Tuesday after detractors failed to recruit an opponent.
“Our caucus is really united in focusing on bringing down costs, on ending the corruption, on ending the chaos, on ending the war,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We have great unity in our caucus, and I’ll be proud to lead it as majority leader.”
Some Democrats credit his role in the election victories and believe he deserves the post.
“When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give them another contract,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told reporters. “Chuck and I have had our differences, but at the end of the day, it’s time to unify.”
Asked whether he’s supporting Schumer for majority leader, former and returning Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio replied simply: “Yes.”
Sanders wouldn’t say when he was asked by NBC News whether he favors abolishing the filibuster for the upcoming two-year session, a cause that some on the left are pushing for. It would allow Democrats to pass most legislation without any Republican support, but the same power could be used against them the next time the GOP takes the majority.
“That’s a very important question, and I haven’t reached an answer on it. I think there are a lot of reasons to support it, and that is the majority — we believe the majority rule, not necessarily having 40 people be able to deny what the majority wants,” Sanders said. “I am worried about protecting minority rights, as well.”
Sanders pointed to the “reconciliation” process, which allows the majority party to pass some legislation on its own, as long as it’s related to spending and taxes; Republicans used the process to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
“What I do believe, absolutely,” Sanders continued, “is that we can, with a major budget reconciliation bill, do a whole lot.”
Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.
Brennan Leach is an associate producer for NBC News covering the Senate.
Ryan Nobles is chief Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News.
Open article →