Published November 13, 2026 · By
Chuck Schumer leadership of Senate Democrats is facing its most open test in years, as Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland calls colleagues about a possible challenge less than two months before Democrats take control of the chamber. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Van Hollen, 67, is weighing a bid that the paper described as an uphill battle. Schumer, 75, has said he is confident he will be elected majority leader when the caucus votes.
The dispute comes days after Democrats won majorities in both chambers in the November 3 midterm elections. Democrats are expected to hold at least 54 Senate seats in January, according to The New Republic, which puts the caucus in charge of the floor agenda for the first time since early 2025.
Chuck Schumer Leadership Challenge: What Happened
Van Hollen has not formally entered the race against the current Chuck Schumer leadership team. In an interview Tuesday, he told the Post he was "very actively in listening mode." Within days of the election, he began phoning fellow senators about the possibility of leading the caucus, according to the Post, while also saying he has been considering a 2028 presidential run.
At a conference on Tuesday, Van Hollen also criticized Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for siding with the cryptocurrency industry and the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC in some primaries, according to a Semafor account cited by The New Republic. He argued that two newly elected Democratic senators won despite the party committee backing other candidates.
Over the weekend, Van Hollen urged colleagues to hold off on commitments and said the next leader should not be chosen by default. Newsweek quoted him saying there "should be no coronation of the next Democratic leader."
Sanders and Slotkin break with Schumer
The pressure grew Tuesday when Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he would not support Schumer for another term as leader. Sanders said he has known Schumer for more than 30 years and likes him personally, but he told reporters "the time is now for change," according to Fox News.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan joined Sanders at the same news conference and also said she would not back Schumer. Slotkin said she is not seeking the job herself. Newsweek reported that she wants any candidate for her vote to present a concrete plan that is clearly different from the current approach. Neither Sanders nor Slotkin has endorsed a replacement.
Senators-elect and outside groups weigh in
Several incoming senators have also withheld support. Newsweek listed senators-elect Adam Hamilton, Troy Jackson, Annie Andrews, Peggy Flanagan and Abdul El-Sayed among those who have declined to back Schumer or have called for new leadership. The New Republic reported that El-Sayed, Michigan's senator-elect, has endorsed Van Hollen for the post.
The New Republic counted at least 10 senators or senators-elect who have broken with Schumer or shown interest in another leader, and cited an analysis by the group Primary Democrats that found another 14 had not committed. Together, that would be close to half of the incoming Democratic caucus. Those counts come from outside tallies and could change before the vote.
Outside the Senate, the International Association of Machinists, a union with about 600,000 members, urged Schumer in an open letter on Monday not to seek another term, Newsweek reported. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said the frustration with party leadership is a sentiment seen in many places.
How Schumer and His Allies Responded
Schumer has said he expects to keep the job. At a Tuesday news conference, he said he was confident he would be elected majority leader, described the caucus as united and said he would be proud to lead it, according to Newsweek and The New Republic.
Several Democrats have publicly backed continued Chuck Schumer leadership. Newsweek reported that Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, along with Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown of Ohio, support Schumer. Whitehouse said the midterm results justify another term for the current leader.
Other senators have stayed in the middle. Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia and Raphael Warnock of Georgia withheld support for now but did not call for new leadership, according to Newsweek. Warner praised Schumer's fundraising record while declining to commit his vote.
Where Republicans stand
Republicans are sorting out their own leadership after losing both chambers. The Washington Post reported that Senate Republican Leader John Thune plans to run for minority leader. In the House, Republicans chose Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader for the next Congress, according to a Politico report cited by The New Republic. None of the reports reviewed for this article quoted Republican leaders weighing in on the Democratic contest.
When the Chuck Schumer Leadership Vote Happens
Senate Democrats, including the newly elected members, are expected to hold a closed-door leadership election by secret ballot in early December, Newsweek reported. The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027. As of Thursday, no senator had formally declared a run against Schumer.
The caucus leader becomes Senate majority leader when Democrats take control. Under long-standing Senate practice, the majority leader is first recognized on the floor and largely decides which bills and nominations come up for a vote. The Senate's historical office keeps a full list of past leaders on Senate.gov.
Schumer has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and served as majority leader from 2021 until early 2025.
What It Means for You
The following is our analysis based on the reporting above. The person who runs the Senate floor shapes which spending bills, tax measures and confirmations move and when. With Democrats holding the House and Senate while President Trump holds the White House, the majority leader will be a central figure in negotiations over government funding, tariffs, health care costs and other issues that affect household budgets.
Whether or not Chuck Schumer leadership continues, the change in party control matters more for most people than the name of the leader. Still, the debate inside the caucus is largely about strategy, specifically how hard to confront the administration and which priorities to push first. Those choices could influence how quickly any deal on spending or taxes comes together, and whether deadlines produce standoffs.
Practical steps to follow the story
Watch for a formal announcement from Van Hollen or any other candidate before the December vote on Chuck Schumer leadership. Statements from senators-elect will matter because they get a vote even before they are sworn in. Readers interested in the wider election results can see our coverage of the Mississippi Senate race and the still-uncalled Alaska Senate race, which affect the final size of the Democratic majority.
If you rely on federal programs or follow tax and budget debates, keep an eye on the incoming majority's first agenda announcements in January. Those will signal which bills reach the floor first. This article is for information only and is not financial advice.
Chuck Schumer Leadership: Key Takeaways
- Van Hollen is calling colleagues about a possible challenge but has not declared.
- Sanders, Slotkin and several senators-elect say they will not back Schumer or want a new leader.
- Schumer says he is confident he has the votes, with backing from Gillibrand, Whitehouse and Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown.
- The secret-ballot caucus vote is expected in early December, ahead of the January 3, 2027 start of the new Congress.
Sources: The Washington Post via The Daily Record (Nov. 12, 2026); Newsweek (Nov. 11, 2026); Fox News (Nov. 11, 2026); The New Republic (Nov. 9 and 10, 2026); U.S. Senate Historical Office, Senate.gov.
