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Sen Bernie Sanders supports Chris Van Hollen's bid to challenge Schumer for Senate Democratic leader post

Van Hollen threw his hat into the ring for the role on Thursday, mounting a challenge against current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is looking to retain the Senate Democratic leader position to serve as Senate majority leader next year.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 3 sources•2 min read•Updated November 13, 2026, 11:06 AM UTC
Key points
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

VAN HOLLEN CHALLENGES SCHUMER FOR SENATE LEADERSHIP AFTER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION SWEEP Schumer asserted in a post that he has the support to retain his leadership position: "I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead.

Additional details
  • Schumer has been the Senate Democratic leader since 2017 and has served in the Senate since 1999.
  • Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.) is a vocal backer of Van Hollen for majority leader.
  • The attempt to oust Schumer (D-N.Y.) underscores that deep divisions are plaguing the Democratic Party despite its overwhelming midterm success.
  • "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.

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

Fox NewsNovember 13, 2026, 11:06 AM UTC → NYT PoliticsNovember 13, 2026, 4:11 AM UTC → AxiosNovember 13, 2026, 3:02 AM UTC →

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