Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s path to becoming Senate Majority Leader has grown more uncertain following two developments this week involving fellow Democrats.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) declined to endorse Schumer for the top leadership post. Speaking to reporters, Blumenthal said, “We need a conversation about leadership going forward because we need new energy and ideas.” Blumenthal added that he still expected Schumer to win the position, saying he was not aware of anyone else willing to take the job.
Separately, Punchbowl News reported that Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is now open to running against Schumer for the leadership post. According to a person familiar with Van Hollen’s thinking, he has “received an outpouring of calls and is now in active listening mode,” and “the door is not shut” on a potential run. Van Hollen has said he wants commitments from Schumer before agreeing to back him for another term as leader. He has also been considering a presidential run.
The pressure on Schumer follows comments from several incoming freshman senators-elect who have either withheld support for him or called for “new leadership.” Abdul El-Sayed, the Senate winner in Michigan, has said he would back Van Hollen for the post if Van Hollen entered the race.
It remains unclear whether Van Hollen would have enough votes to actually unseat Schumer if he ran. His openness to a bid could also be read as a negotiating position, aimed at extracting concessions from Schumer in exchange for Van Hollen’s support, depending on how the numbers within the caucus ultimately break down.
Schumer is still considered likely to retain enough votes to keep his position, but the combination of Blumenthal’s non-endorsement and Van Hollen’s newly stated openness to a challenge marks a notable escalation in internal Democratic tension over Senate leadership.
