Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced Thursday he would challenge New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader, launching an uphill battle to lead the chamber’s Democrats after their sweeping victory in the midterms .
“This is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people,” Van Hollen said in an MS NOW interview, calling his candidacy a response to the “huge outburst of democracy” in the midterms.
“The call was really to reject the status quo and to reject business as usual,” he added. “And to do that, I think we need new leadership.”
The closed-ballot leadership election is scheduled for December 1. Several returning Senate Democrats — and most incoming freshmen — have declined to publicly back Schumer for the job , though Schumer needs just majority support from his caucus to win.
Democrats have flipped eight seats so far in the midterms and will enter January with at least 55 senators. The much stronger than expected performance has not quieted longstanding frustrations many liberals have with Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017.
“I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead,” Schumer 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.”
While Schumer claimed he has the votes to win, Van Hollen said he has talked to most Senate Democrats and believes the race “is very much in flux.” Pressed by MS NOW host Jen Psaki about how many commitments he had, Van Hollen said he had “more than 10” but expressed confidence his support could grow now that colleagues know he is running.
Van Hollen quickly received the support of one incoming Democratic freshman, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, who has suggested for weeks he could back Van Hollen if he runs.
Still, Van Hollen conceded he is the “underdog.” And Schumer got a swift endorsement from Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
“Chuck has 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,” King said in a statement.
Van Hollen has long said Senate Democrats should have a debate over their next leader, though his publicly stated interest in challenging Schumer has evolved in recent days. He told CNN on Saturday that seeking the job was “not my focus,” noting that he was also interested in running for president. As of Thursday afternoon he said he was “still actively listening to members” on the topic.
The 67-year-old Van Hollen has served in Congress for over two decades, including in other leadership roles, making him a somewhat unlikely candidate to carry an anti-establishment banner. But he has emerged as a favorite of some progressives over the past two years due to his criticism of Israel and advocacy for a more confrontational approach to President Donald Trump.
Van Hollen said he would be different from Schumer because he would use the “full power” of the Senate to respond to voters’ desires to end the Iran war and lower the cost of living. And he promised he would not intervene in primaries for open Senate seats as Schumer has.
Schumer has been accused by liberals of not fighting hard enough against Trump and is also a longtime supporter of the US-Israeli relationship as many Democrats have become more skeptical of Israel amid its war with Hamas. The 75-year-old also faces the prospect of a primary challenge – potentially from New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – if he runs for reelection in 2028.
“I am confident I will be elected majority leader,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday, adding that there was “great unity” among Senate Democrats.
Van Hollen has served in the Senate since 2017 and previously spent 14 years in the House. He has held multiple leadership roles in Congress, including House Democratic assistant to the leader and chair of both chambers’ campaign arms.
His national profile has grown considerably over the last two years. He drew the ire of the administration early on when he traveled to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia , a Maryland resident who had been mistakenly deported there.
“He’s willing to take risks when it matters,” El-Sayed told NPR in an interview published Thursday . “Flying down to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a real risk.”
Van Hollen has also leaned into criticism of the Israeli government at a time when Democrats have been increasingly animated — and divided — over Israel’s war in Gaza. He has accused the Israeli government of “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “wanted war criminal,” and denounced the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Van Hollen has cast his interest in majority leader as a response to the mandate for dramatic change in Washington that voters sent in the midterms. But he has also offered at least one specific critique of Schumer, saying he and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee were too involved in Senate Democratic primaries this cycle.
“We have two members in that room, newly elected senators, who would not be there if Schumer and the DSCC had had their way,” Van Hollen said Tuesday at a post-election Democratic conference in Washington. “(They) sided with the crypto industry and AIPAC against these candidates, and my strong view is only under very, very rare exceptions should the DSCC be weighing in.”
Van Hollen was the first Democratic senator to endorse El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate primary, in which El-Sayed faced Rep. Haley Stevens, who had Schumer’s quiet backing, CNN previously reported. Schumer supported El-Sayed after he defeated Stevens in the primary.
El-Sayed has suggested he would back Van Hollen as a potential caucus leader. So has Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Sanders held a news conference Tuesday with Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, where they both made clear they wanted a new leader.
“If this campaign was about anything, it was about change and the need for the Democratic Party, in my view, to move in a new and bold direction,” Sanders said, adding that he has known Schumer for more than 30 years and likes him. “But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader.”
Incoming Democratic Sens. Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Troy Jackson of Maine, Annie Andrews of South Carolina and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota have also reaffirmed their belief that they need a new leader.
“I think whether it’s fair or not, Chuck Schumer is seen as a more divisive figure by many people, and I think we need somebody who’s going to bring us together,” Hamilton told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Other Senate Democrats have said they will support Schumer for the job based on his work to retake the majority.
“When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give them another contract,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, told reporters earlier this week.
And Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who ran the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm this year, praised Schumer at a news conference for overseeing what became a standout cycle for Senate Democrats.
“This caucus is grateful for the hard work of Sen. Schumer,” Gillibrand said Tuesday . “No one has put in the time and effort that anyone has put into this cycle than he did.”
Gillibrand noted that she and Schumer had held a fundraiser a year ago for Scott Colom, who will become Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction. Speaking on MS NOW Thursday, Colom said Schumer “did initially understand that our party had to look South for future leadership. I think that it’s not accurate to say that he recruited me, though.”
Asked if he would back Schumer, Colom replied: “I don’t know my options. What are my options?”
This story has been updated with additional details.
