WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced Thursday night that he will run for Senate majority leader, launching a direct challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as a growing chorus of Senate Democrats calls for new leadership in the 120th Congress, according to multiple reports.
Van Hollen, 67, made the announcement in a statement posted to social media and confirmed by his team. He becomes the first Democrat to openly challenge Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017.
"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 obtained by NBC News. "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 responded on X, 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," Schumer said in a statement reported by Roll Call.
The closed-door, secret-ballot election will be held in early December, according to Roll Call, and requires a simple majority of the caucus. The race will be the first contested election for Democratic leader in decades.
Van Hollen, who was first elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving in the House since 2003, is newer to Congress than Schumer, 75, who was first elected to the House in 1980 and moved to the Senate in 1999. Van Hollen previously chaired both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
According to his team, 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. He is also proposing to reverse President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," get money out of politics and tackle corruption, NBC News reported.
Van Hollen also said he would not take sides in contested Democratic primaries and would make sure the DSCC did not take money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to Roll Call. His early backers include progressive Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, Roll Call reported.
In an interview with MS NOW about his run, Van Hollen conceded that Schumer would be the favorite in the secret-ballot contest, according to Roll Call.
The challenge comes after Democrats swept to power in the midterm elections, with Schumer's supporters quick to highlight the party's success at the ballot box. The Democratic caucus could grow to 56 seats if former Rep. Mary Peltola prevails in Alaska, Roll Call reported.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) echoed support for Schumer, according to Roll Call. The question of whether to reelect Schumer has already divided the caucus, and many senators will not say publicly how they will vote, according to WBAL. Schumer told The Associated Press in an interview last week, "I'm going to win it."
Van Hollen also promoted his announcement on Instagram, where a reel was posted explaining his decision to become the first Democrat to challenge Schumer for the leadership post.
Our Take
Here's the reality, folks: the Democrats just won a Senate majority, and before they've even been sworn in, they're already at each other's throats. Chris Van Hollen — a Maryland liberal who has spent two decades inside the Beltway — is now trying to knife Chuck Schumer in a backroom leadership vote. This isn't about "answering the call of the American people." It's about power, pure and simple.
Van Hollen's pitch is a laundry list of left-wing fantasy: ending the Iran war by defunding our military, reversing the "big, beautiful bill" that unleashed American energy and secured our border, and bowing to the far-left by refusing AIPAC money. This is the same playbook that lost Democrats election after election — and now they want to double down.
Meanwhile, Schumer is twisting arms and claiming he has the votes. But the fact that a 67-year-old career politician from Maryland thinks he can take the crown shows just how weak Schumer's grip on his own caucus has become. The Democrats are fractured, leaderless, and lurching further left. That's good news for America — and for President Trump's agenda.
Patriots, keep your eyes on December. The Democrats' civil war is just getting started, and we'll be here to cover every minute of it.
