Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for the top Democratic post in the Senate, and the Maryland senator is picking up support from colleagues, threatening Schumer's leadership post. The contest has opened a split inside the Democratic Party days after its sweeping midterm win.
Van Hollen, who has served in the Senate since 2017, announced his bid Thursday.
"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," Van Hollen wrote in a post on X.
Van Hollen has disputed Schumer's claim to credit for the midterm results, saying the wave came from voters instead of from leaders in Washington.
The winner needs 28 or 29 votes, depending on the outcome of Alaska's Senate race, where officials have not finished counting ballots. Schumer has more public supporters, with 14 senators and senators-elect backing him, including his own vote.
Schumer's public supporters include Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with King. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) endorsed Schumer before the election but have not publicly reaffirmed that support since Van Hollen launched his campaign.
Van Hollen has five public supporters but told MSNOW he has "more than 10" senators on his side.
Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senators-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) have all endorsed Van Hollen.
A wider group has called for change without endorsing Van Hollen. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) has urged new leadership but has not picked a candidate. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) told NBC 5 that Democrats "absolutely are committed to change," though he did not rule out supporting Schumer. Senators-elect Adam Hamilton (D-KS), Juliana Stratton (D-IL), Troy Jackson (D-ME), Annie Andrews (D-SC), and Chris Pappas (D-NH) have also said the caucus needs new leaders.
Much of the pressure on Schumer comes from progressives who insist he has not fought President Trump hard enough. Their criticism intensified after Schumer helped advance a Republican-backed government funding bill in March 2025. The Working Families Party sent Schumer a letter urging him not to seek another term as leader, and another labor group has endorsed Van Hollen.
Schumer's record in the primaries has added to the friction. He backed the more mainstream Democrats in a number of contested races believing them to be more electable; then the more progressive candidates won those primaries and then went on to win their general elections. The progressives in the party have been pushing for a more aggressive agenda, and don't see Schumer as the guy to do it.
Schumer nevertheless has projected confidence. "I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic leader," he said earlier this week.
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) defended Schumer with a baseball comparison. "Why would you fire the manager when you just won the World Series?" King said.
Several senators remain uncommitted. Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) have not backed either candidate. Sens. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Chris Coons (D-DE) want the two contenders to debate before the caucus. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) have said they are open to a change, and Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-TX) said he wants to hear Schumer's vision first.
The leadership fight also serves as an early test for 2028. Ossoff and Booker, both mentioned as possible presidential contenders, have stayed neutral. Gallego and Kelly, who have also drawn presidential speculation, have sided with Schumer. Schumer faces his own reelection in 2028. He could draw a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and he has the option of retiring instead of running.
The dispute comes as Senate Democrats prepare to take control of the chamber in January, with a public whip count that still leaves Schumer roughly half the votes short of what he needs to win.
Senate Democrats will choose their leader by secret ballot on Dec. 1. Incoming senators will vote, and members can cast ballots that differ from their public endorsements.