WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Thursday that he will run for Senate majority leader, a direct challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York just over a week after Democrats won back the Senate in the midterm elections.
“In this election, the American people called for change,” Van Hollen said in a statement released by his office. “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.”
“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.”
Schumer says he has the votes
Schumer answered within hours, and he did not sound worried. “I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead,” he posted on X. “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.”
Democrats flipped eight seats in the midterms and will hold at least 55 seats when the new Congress opens in January. They took the House majority, too.
The leadership vote is a closed-ballot election inside the caucus, scheduled for Dec. 1, according to CNN. The winner needs support from a majority of the caucus. It will be the first contested election for Democratic leader in decades.
An underdog, by his own account
Van Hollen made his case Thursday evening on MS NOW, telling host Jen Psaki that the outcome was still open. He said he had talked with most Senate Democrats and believed the race was “very much in flux.” Pressed on commitments, he put his count at “more than 10” and conceded he is the “underdog.”
He drew a contrast on policy, too. Van Hollen said he would use the “full power” of the Senate to answer voters who want the Iran war ended and the cost of living brought down. And he promised he would not step into primaries for open Senate seats, as Schumer has.
Support is already splitting. Incoming Sen. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan moved quickly to back Van Hollen. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Tuesday that he will not support Schumer for another term as leader. On the other side, Sen. Angus King of Maine endorsed Schumer, pointing to his experience and his feel for how the Senate works.
Pressure arrived in person on Thursday, too. Dozens of Sunrise Movement protesters were arrested after a sit-in inside Schumer’s Washington office, where the youth climate group demanded new Democratic leadership and an end to the filibuster. The group said 54 people were arrested.
Van Hollen, 67, has been in the Senate since 2017, after 14 years in the House. Schumer, 75, has led Senate Democrats since 2017.