Sen. Bernie Sanders will not back Sen. Chuck Schumer to lead Senate Democrats in the new Congress. He said so out loud, at a Capitol press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and he did not soften it.
“I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck. Nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re-elected as the Democratic leader,” Sanders said.
That is the most prominent progressive in the Senate telling the man who has led Senate Democrats since 2017 that his time is up. It came just one week after Democrats won control of the Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan stood beside Sanders at the press conference. She said she will not back Schumer unless she sees a concrete plan that is definitively different.
What happens next
Democrats will hold at least 54 Senate seats when the 120th Congress convenes in January. Senate Democrats are expected to choose their new leadership in early December, by secret ballot. Schumer needs only a majority of his caucus to keep the job.
Schumer says he is confident he will be elected majority leader. He has led the caucus for a decade. He is not going quietly, and no one should count him out.
But Sanders predicted Schumer will not run unopposed. No formal challenger has launched a bid yet, and that is the gap in this story.
The name most often mentioned as a possible alternative is Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Van Hollen said Monday, Nov. 9, that he had not shut the door on running. On Tuesday, he declined to say whether he would challenge Schumer.
Sanders also pointed to Van Hollen when reporters asked about potential challengers. Sanders is not a member of the Democratic Party. He is an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, so he is not the one who would replace Schumer.
Two fights, not one
This dispute is really two arguments at once. The first is about Schumer himself, and whether a leader who has been in charge for a decade should stay. The second is about how Democrats should confront President Donald Trump when their new majority takes office in January.
Sanders framed last week’s midterm elections as a demand for change, and he called for a vigorous debate about the direction of the Democratic Party. He and Slotkin had just come from a meeting with Schumer, in which Schumer laid out some ideas. Sanders said they did not go far enough.
One claim floating around this story should be ignored. Some headlines say Sanders is leading ten senators into a showdown with Schumer. No verified list supports a ten-member voting coalition against Schumer. What the reporting supports is a growing dispute, with Sanders and Slotkin publicly opposed and Van Hollen weighing a run. That is plenty of drama without inventing a headcount.
Here is the thing to watch. If Van Hollen, or anyone else, actually files to run, this becomes a real contest. Until then, it is a public warning shot from the left, and Schumer has a month to answer it.
Sources:
- Political.org, Sanders Says He Won’t Back Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader; Slotkin Also Opposes
- Objectivist, Eating Their Own: Bernie Sanders Refuses to Back Chuck Schumer as Senate Democrat Leader
- Indian Economic Observer, Democrats divided; Senators Sanders, Slotkin oppose Chuck Schumer as Senate majority leader
- Bulletin Observer, Sanders rejects Schumer’s bid to lead Senate Democrats