Senator from Maryland announces his challenge to leadership as longtime Democratic leader Chuck Schumer faces demands from progressive Democrats to make changes.
Senator Chris Van Hollen has said that he is running for Senate majority leader, challenging longtime Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
"In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption," Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, said on X on Thursday.
"To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn't about any one person – it's about answering that call," he said. "That's why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader."
The announcement comes after Democrats won control of the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. The party will take over the majority when the next Congress begins in January.
Both Schumer in the Senate and Hakeem Jeffries in the House are facing resistance from progressive lawmakers demanding generational change.
The opposition has emerged despite Democrats' decisive electoral gains, which handed them control of both chambers for the first time since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Pressure from inside
In the Senate, Schumer has led the Democratic caucus for nearly a decade.
The 75-year-old New Yorker's establishment credentials have become a liability among critics who see his leadership as out of step with younger voters and the party's progressive wing, fuelling demands for generational change.
The pressure intensified on Tuesday when independent Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he would not support Schumer's reelection as Democratic leader.
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin also demanded a concrete governing agenda before committing her support to any leadership candidate.
Schumer's old-school willingness to compromise may make him more immediately vulnerable, especially in a political climate where progressive candidates have campaigned against the Republican agenda and US support for Israel. His longstanding ties to the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC place him at odds with progressives seeking to curb its influence within the Democratic Party.
TRT World & Agencies — TRT World & Agencies
Photo: AFP
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