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Chris Van Hollen to challenge Schumer for Senate majority leader

That is why I'm running for Senate Majority Leader." In a statement of his own, Schumer said: "I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic leader." Zoom in: Van Hollen acknowledged he's the "underdog" in the race but claimed Thursday on MS NOW he has "more than 10" senators on his side.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 3 sources•1 min read•Updated November 13, 2026, 7:03 PM UTC
Key points
  • Maryland Senator Van Hollen says "new leadership" is needed for Democrats following the party's recent midterm successes.
  • Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has emerged as a favorite of Democrats seeking an alternative to Senator Chuck Schumer, who says he has the votes to win.
  • The attempt to oust Schumer (D-N.Y.) underscores that deep divisions are plaguing the Democratic Party despite its overwhelming midterm success.

Schumer has been the Senate Democratic leader since 2017 and has served in the Senate since 1999.

Chris Van Hollen announced Thursday that he'll challenge Chuck Schumer for majority leader.

Additional details
  • "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." "It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership.
  • Why it matters: Van Hollen's bid gives grassroots activists nearly three weeks to pressure Senate Democrats before they cast secret ballots in the Dec.
  • Progressives have accused Schumer of not fighting hard enough against President Trump and the MAGA agenda.
  • Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.) is a vocal backer of Van Hollen for majority leader.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Every article behind this summary — 3 articles from 3 outlets

BBC WorldNovember 13, 2026, 7:03 PM UTC → NYT PoliticsNovember 13, 2026, 4:11 AM UTC → AxiosNovember 13, 2026, 3:02 AM UTC →

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