By Sarah Jay · Updated November 13, 2026 · Compiled from reporting by NBC News, CBS News, Axios, TIME, Fox News, The Washington Times and Newsweek, cross-checked against each other. Nothing here is sponsored.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is challenging Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader. He announced it Thursday night, November 12, nine days after Democrats won control of the Senate. Schumer answered within hours: he says he already has the votes. Senate Democrats settle it by secret ballot in a closed-door caucus vote set for December 1, according to Axios.
Van Hollen is the first senator to formally challenge Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since 2017. Here’s what each man is arguing, how the vote works, and who’s lining up where.
What Van Hollen announced
The bid came in a post on X. “It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership,” Van Hollen wrote, as quoted by NBC News. He said the race isn’t about one person, and closed with: “That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.”
He followed up the same night on MS NOW. Van Hollen admitted he starts behind (“Am I the underdog? Yes”) but said more than 10 senators have pledged to back him. TIME reported that he framed the contest as a choice colleagues didn’t have before. “It is one thing to have someone’s support when you’re the only choice,” he said.
The move wasn’t a sudden one. A week earlier, Van Hollen said there should be “no coronation” of the next leader, and on Monday he described himself as being in “listening mode,” Newsweek reported. Before that, he’d talked openly about a possible 2028 presidential run.
Van Hollen vs. Schumer: where they differ
Van Hollen’s critique has three main threads, based on his interviews as reported by CBS News and Fox News.
The first is the Iran war. He suggested Schumer hasn’t pushed hard enough to use Congress’s power of the purse to force the Trump administration to end it.
The second is primaries. Van Hollen faulted Schumer for backing certain candidates behind the scenes, a long-running complaint from progressives. “We have two senators right now in the United States Senate who wouldn’t be there if the current majority leader had his way,” he said, pointing to Senators-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota.
The third is about influence. Van Hollen argued that Schumer sided with the crypto industry and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) over progressive candidates who went on to win, Fox News reported. That ties into a bigger split. Van Hollen has been one of the Senate’s sharpest critics of Israel’s operation in Gaza, while Schumer has long been among the Israeli government’s strongest Democratic supporters, as CNN noted in its analysis.
Schumer’s response: “I have the votes”
Schumer didn’t wait long. On X, he wrote that he welcomes “any discussion about the future of our caucus,” called “55 seats and counting” an amazing result, and said: “I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.” He added that he looks forward to leading the new majority.
His case rests mostly on the result itself. Democrats flipped Republican-held seats in Texas, South Carolina and Michigan with candidates Schumer recruited, according to Latin Times, and even some critics have credited his recruiting. He’s led the caucus through wins and losses since 2017. Democrats gained the majority in 2020, expanded it in 2022, and lost ground in 2018 and 2024.
NBC News describes Schumer as still favored.
Who’s backing whom
Schumer has the bigger public list right now. As of early Friday, more than a dozen Democrats had publicly backed him, compared with two for Van Hollen, The Washington Times counted. Named Schumer supporters include Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, who is running for whip, independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Ohio Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown, according to Fox News and Axios.
Van Hollen’s named backers so far are El-Sayed, who endorsed him the moment he entered, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to Fox News.
The incoming class is the wild card. Several Senators-elect, including Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Troy Jackson of Maine and Flanagan, have either opposed another Schumer term or called for new leadership, Newsweek reported. That doesn’t automatically make them Van Hollen votes. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, for instance, has said she won’t back any candidate who can’t lay out a concrete plan for the first 100 days.
How the Senate Democratic leader vote works
It’s an internal party election. Not a floor vote.
Democratic senators and senators-elect meet behind closed doors and cast secret ballots. The winner needs a simple majority of the caucus. With 55 seats, that’s 28. If the uncalled Alaska race goes to Democrat Mary Peltola, the caucus grows to 56 and the threshold becomes 29, The Washington Times noted.
The secret ballot cuts both ways. Senators can publicly endorse Schumer and privately vote for Van Hollen, which is part of why Van Hollen calls the race “very much in flux.” It also means nobody outside the room will know exactly who voted how.
Axios reported that the three weeks before December 1 give progressive activists time to pressure senators. Some progressive groups have reportedly threatened to back primary challengers against senators who don’t support Van Hollen, according to Jewish Insider.
Who are Van Hollen and Schumer?
Van Hollen, 67, spent 14 years in the House before winning his Senate seat in 2016. He chaired the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the DSCC, during the 2018 cycle. That’s an establishment résumé, which is part of what makes his run notable.
Schumer, 75, was first elected to the House in 1980 and moved to the Senate in 1999. He took over as Democratic leader in 2017, succeeding Harry Reid. Both men are up for reelection in 2028, according to TIME.
What this fight means for Democrats
The odds favor Schumer. That’s the honest read from nearly every outlet covering the race, and his public whip count backs it up.
Still, the challenge itself says something. Republicans quickly reelected John Thune as their leader despite losing the Senate. Democrats, fresh off a big win, are now heading into a contested race, which CNN’s analysis suggested could raise questions about Schumer’s authority even if he keeps the job. In my view, the margin may matter as much as the result. A narrow Schumer win would leave a sizable bloc on record wanting change, even if no one knows exactly who’s in it.
It also previews the arguments Democrats will have once they’re running the Senate in January: how hard to push on ending the Iran war, how to handle Israel policy, and how much the party’s leadership should shape its primaries. Those debates won’t end on December 1, whoever wins.
FAQ
Is Chris Van Hollen running against Chuck Schumer?
Yes. Van Hollen announced on November 12, 2026, that he will challenge Schumer for Senate majority leader in the new Congress. He’s the first senator to formally do so. Schumer says he already has enough votes to win.
When is the Senate Democratic leadership election?
Axios reports the vote is set for December 1, 2026. Democratic senators and senators-elect vote behind closed doors by secret ballot. The new Congress starts in January.
How many votes does Van Hollen need to beat Schumer?
A simple majority of the Democratic caucus. That’s 28 votes with 55 members, or 29 if Democrats win the uncalled Alaska race. Van Hollen says more than 10 senators have pledged to support him.
Why is Van Hollen challenging Schumer?
Van Hollen says voters asked for change and the party needs new leadership to deliver it. He has criticized Schumer’s approach to ending the Iran war, his role in Democratic primaries, and what he describes as siding with AIPAC and the crypto industry over progressive candidates.
Who supports Van Hollen for majority leader?
Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed and Sen. Bernie Sanders have backed him publicly, according to Fox News. Several other incoming senators have said they want new leadership but haven’t all endorsed Van Hollen.
This story is developing, and we’ll update it as more senators take sides. Related coverage: Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Senate win, 2026 midterm election results and Jim Jordan’s election as House minority leader.
Sources and Editorial Notes
Elivestory aims to use relevant sources, separate confirmed information from speculation and update important details when reliable new information becomes available.
Sarah Jay
Sarah Jay is a journalist, fact-checker, and writer who creates well-researched articles using information from credible and trusted sources. She combines verified facts with thoughtful analysis, offering readers clear, balanced, and insightful perspectives on the topics she covers.
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