Van Hollen Challenges Schumer for Senate Majority Leader

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Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen is running for Senate majority leader, setting up the first open challenge to Chuck Schumer since Democrats won back the Senate in last week’s midterms. He made it official Thursday night, Nov. 12, in a statement and a post on X at about 9 p.m. ET. Within a minute, Schumer answered that he already has the votes to keep the job.

The featured image shows Van Hollen, left, in Annapolis in March 2026 and Schumer, right, at a Capitol rally the same month.

The Lowdown

Democrats just won the Senate, and the first fight is over who runs it. Schumer has led the caucus since 2017 and says the votes are locked. Van Hollen is betting that a wave of new senators, plus progressives who say Schumer has not fought Trump hard enough, want a different face in charge. The vote is a secret ballot among Democratic senators, so public posts only tell part of the story. Most reporting still has Schumer as the favorite.

Key Takeaways

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced Thursday, Nov. 12, that he is running for Senate majority leader in the next Congress.
That puts him against Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and is minority leader in the current Republican-run Senate.
Schumer replied on X that he has “the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.”
Senate Democrats choose their leaders by secret ballot. Axios puts the vote on Dec. 1; the new Congress starts Jan. 3, 2027.

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.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) November 12, 2026

The Full Story

What Van Hollen Said

“In this election, the American people called for change,” Van Hollen said in a statement reported by NBC News and the Associated Press. “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.”

He told The Washington Post in an interview that “the voters called for big change, and this is a time that we have to deliver for people across the country.” He also discussed the bid on MS NOW with Jen Psaki, who posted the interview as an exclusive.

According to NBC News, his team says he will push the new majority to use every tool it has to end the Iran war, starting with the government funding bill due before a December shutdown deadline. He also wants to reverse President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and take on money in politics and corruption.

Schumer’s Answer

Schumer posted his response on X less than a minute after Van Hollen’s announcement.

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.

I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 12, 2026

NBC News called Schumer the favorite to keep the job but said this is likely the most serious challenge he has faced for it. The Hill has reported that Schumer has been telling colleagues privately that he had already locked up the votes.

How It Got Here

After the election, Van Hollen said “we shouldn’t have a coronation” of the next leader, The Hill reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he would back Van Hollen if he ran, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) has asked for a concrete plan for change without endorsing him.

Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed has pushed Van Hollen for the job since the spring. On Thursday night he wrote on X that he is “proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority.” Our midterm live updates cover how Democrats took the chamber.

Van Hollen, 67, was elected to the Senate in 2016 after more than a decade in the House. Schumer, 75, has been in the Senate since 1999. More political coverage is on our Zeitgeist page.